Becoming Multi Musical
Recently I was part of a seminar at the Calvin Worship Symposium in which we spent a day discussing the role of discipleship in Contemporary Christian Music (hard to define I know). One of the ways that I contributed to the discussion was through a short presentation on why the church and its musicians should learn to speak multiple musical languages (a response to a chapter in my book From Memory to Imagination: Reforming the Church’s Music).
I’ve come to believe that discipleship is primarily about being shaped into the image of Christ. It seems that the Bible is quite clear that we are to be transformed by Christ in order for Christ to be visible in us. Worship, our encounter with God, is the primary way in which we are transformed and through which our lives are recalibrated according to God’s being. It seems that our natural tendency is to believe that we are God instead of God, and while we don’t believe such idolatry straight up, throughout the week, our actions demonstrate that we gradually start to ascend the throne on which God belongs.
Recently I was part of a seminar at the Calvin Worship Symposium in which we spent a day discussing the role of discipleship in Contemporary Christian Music (hard to define I know). One of the ways that I contributed to the discussion was through a short presentation on why the church and its musicians should learn to speak multiple musical languages (a response to a chapter in my book From Memory to Imagination: Reforming the Church’s Music).
I’ve come to believe that discipleship is primarily about being shaped into the image of Christ. It seems that the Bible is quite clear that we are to be transformed by Christ in order for Christ to be visible in us. Worship, our encounter with God, is the primary way in which we are transformed and through which our lives are recalibrated according to God’s being. It seems that our natural tendency is to believe that we are God instead of God, and while we don’t believe such idolatry straight up, throughout the week, our actions demonstrate that we gradually start to ascend the throne on which God belongs.
In other words, we spend our days getting further and further away from God, and worship is the way in which we re-gain our misguided perspective. So how does regaining our perspective intersect with becoming multi-musical?
If re-tuning to sing God’s grace is the purpose of worship, then what should worship look like? What kind of worship has the power to transform and restore our clouded vision? The answer: Worship that fully reflects the essence of God’s nature. But what would such worship actually look like? What music might it embody?
In order to contemplate this question more fully, we must move beyond ourselves and look past our finitude in order to comprehend the imagination of God more fully. If the worship of heaven is the ultimate worship to which we all inspire, suppose that rather than sit from our usual perspective and attempt to see how far toward heaven our imagination might take us, we intentionally imagined the worship of heaven? What might worship created by God and fully made in God’s image look like? Would this worship people of all colors, socio-economic status, and political persuasions? Would it be cordoned off into stylistic subsets based on singular styles, or would the people of all times and places sing in all tongues that represent the full variety and diversity of the God of the ages? If indeed worship in heaven fully represents all people and the multiple musical languages through which they express their worship, what are the implications for our worship on earth – the worship in your local context?
If we agree that the music of heaven will be multi-musical and that worship in our local context is positioned along the journey between here and heaven, we must take steps to begin the process toward both “music-ing” in multiple languages ourselves and leading others in that heavenward direction. At this juncture, a travel metaphor seems appropriate. In order to contemplate this question more fully, we must move beyond ourselves and look past our finitude in order to comprehend the imagination of God more fully. If the worship of heaven is the ultimate worship to which we all inspire, suppose that rather than sit from our usual perspective and attempt to see how far toward heaven our imagination might take us, we intentionally imagined the worship of heaven?
What might worship created by God and fully made in God’s image look like? Would this worship people of all colors, socio-economic status, and political persuasions? Would it be cordoned off into stylistic subsets based on singular styles, or would the people of all times and places sing in all tongues that represent the full variety and diversity of the God of the ages? If indeed worship in heaven fully represents all people and the multiple musical languages through which they express their worship, what are the implications for our worship on earth – the worship in your local context?
If we agree that the music of heaven will be multi-musical and that worship in our local context is positioned along the journey between here and heaven, we must take steps to begin the process toward both “music-ing” in multiple languages ourselves and leading others in that heavenward direction. At this juncture, a travel metaphor seems appropriate.
Suppose we were to travel to other places where we are unable to speak the language of the people. In order to communicate, we would likely start by learning phrases that would allow us access to basic necessities. Such attempts at the language would launch conversations and allow dialogue to ensue; our efforts would likely be received with joyful appreciation.
Similarly, when we attempt to speak new musical languages in worship, our efforts build bridges with others, and they allow musical/theological conversation to flow that would otherwise have been hindered. Likewise, traveling to unknown linguistic locales often involves traveling with an interpreter. In this model, we surround ourselves with others who speak different musical languages than we, and we trust them to help us navigate beyond our current experience and skill.
Often, because of our lack of ability to negotiate multiple musical languages, we fail to experience the vastness of God’s abundance, and the people whom we serve end up being “homebound” because of our failure to help them travel to new musical places. However, as ministers, we are charged with experiencing the biggest God possible and leading those within our ministries to experience God’s great abundance as well.
What are the implications of embracing a broader musical palette and leading our congregations in that direction? How might such an approach impact the specific stylistic genres by which many of our services are identified? How might this understanding influence our decision to add another service with a singular predetermined music style? How much of the vastness of God’s being are we reflecting and leading others to encounter in our congregation’s worship?
In the days ahead spend some time reflecting on your own ability to walk among different musical languages. Consider whether you have a desire to speak multiple musical languages, or if not, carefully consider why not? Attempt to discern ways in which you might start to speak phrases from other musical languages in order to begin to build bridges with others and move toward a more all-encompassing God. Pray that God would call out musical interpreters within your congregation to assist in starting the journey toward a more expanded musical vocabulary.
If re-tuning to sing God’s grace is the purpose of worship, then what should worship look like? What kind of worship has the power to transform and restore our clouded vision? The answer: Worship that fully reflects the essence of God’s nature. But what would such worship actually look like? What music might it embody?
In order to contemplate this question more fully, we must move beyond ourselves and look past our finitude in order to comprehend the imagination of God more fully. If the worship of heaven is the ultimate worship to which we all inspire, suppose that rather than sit from our usual perspective and attempt to see how far toward heaven our imagination might take us, we intentionally imagined the worship of heaven? What might worship created by God and fully made in God’s image look like? Would this worship people of all colors, socio-economic status, and political persuasions? Would it be cordoned off into stylistic subsets based on singular styles, or would the people of all times and places sing in all tongues that represent the full variety and diversity of the God of the ages? If indeed worship in heaven fully represents all people and the multiple musical languages through which they express their worship, what are the implications for our worship on earth – the worship in your local context?
If we agree that the music of heaven will be multi-musical and that worship in our local context is positioned along the journey between here and heaven, we must take steps to begin the process toward both “music-ing” in multiple languages ourselves and leading others in that heavenward direction. At this juncture, a travel metaphor seems appropriate. In order to contemplate this question more fully, we must move beyond ourselves and look past our finitude in order to comprehend the imagination of God more fully. If the worship of heaven is the ultimate worship to which we all inspire, suppose that rather than sit from our usual perspective and attempt to see how far toward heaven our imagination might take us, we intentionally imagined the worship of heaven?
What might worship created by God and fully made in God’s image look like? Would this worship people of all colors, socio-economic status, and political persuasions? Would it be cordoned off into stylistic subsets based on singular styles, or would the people of all times and places sing in all tongues that represent the full variety and diversity of the God of the ages? If indeed worship in heaven fully represents all people and the multiple musical languages through which they express their worship, what are the implications for our worship on earth – the worship in your local context?
If we agree that the music of heaven will be multi-musical and that worship in our local context is positioned along the journey between here and heaven, we must take steps to begin the process toward both “music-ing” in multiple languages ourselves and leading others in that heavenward direction. At this juncture, a travel metaphor seems appropriate.
Suppose we were to travel to other places where we are unable to speak the language of the people. In order to communicate, we would likely start by learning phrases that would allow us access to basic necessities. Such attempts at the language would launch conversations and allow dialogue to ensue; our efforts would likely be received with joyful appreciation.
Similarly, when we attempt to speak new musical languages in worship, our efforts build bridges with others, and they allow musical/theological conversation to flow that would otherwise have been hindered. Likewise, traveling to unknown linguistic locales often involves traveling with an interpreter. In this model, we surround ourselves with others who speak different musical languages than we, and we trust them to help us navigate beyond our current experience and skill.
Often, because of our lack of ability to negotiate multiple musical languages, we fail to experience the vastness of God’s abundance, and the people whom we serve end up being “homebound” because of our failure to help them travel to new musical places. However, as ministers, we are charged with experiencing the biggest God possible and leading those within our ministries to experience God’s great abundance as well.
What are the implications of embracing a broader musical palette and leading our congregations in that direction? How might such an approach impact the specific stylistic genres by which many of our services are identified? How might this understanding influence our decision to add another service with a singular predetermined music style? How much of the vastness of God’s being are we reflecting and leading others to encounter in our congregation’s worship?
In the days ahead spend some time reflecting on your own ability to walk among different musical languages. Consider whether you have a desire to speak multiple musical languages, or if not, carefully consider why not? Attempt to discern ways in which you might start to speak phrases from other musical languages in order to begin to build bridges with others and move toward a more all-encompassing God. Pray that God would call out musical interpreters within your congregation to assist in starting the journey toward a more expanded musical vocabulary.