Making a People of Praise:

Music Ministry and the

Power of Worship

by Jim Courson

Appropriate roles of music in the church is one of those questions that tends to spark lively debate. Personal preferences and individual tastes clash often and sometimes fiercely. Traditional versus contemporary, hymns versus choruses, indigenous versus western-these are just some of the issues that crop up when the subject drifts to music in missions. But there is another question, often overlooked, that should far outweigh the matters of preference and taste. It is a question of function. Is music in the church intended to meet an aesthetic need, to bring pleasure to our ears? Is it intended to fill a sociological function, to draw individuals together so there is a stronger sense of community? Or is there a higher purpose? I submit that the primary purpose or function of music in the life of the church is ministry. In the musty pages of an old seminary notebook I found the following statement: "The purpose of music in the church is nothing less than, nothing greater than, nothing other than the work of the church, which is ministry: ministry to the Lord, ministry to the body of Christ, ministry to the world."1 Using that statement as a backdrop, I'd like to explore several issues related to the ministry of music.

Biblical Foundation for Ministry

The biblical concept of ministry is embodied principally in two words: sharath2 and diakoneo.3 In the Old Testament, sharath is used both of "service rendered to an important person" and of the "ministry of worship on the part of those who stand in a special relationship to God." Those who minister out of this special relationship to God are the Levites and priests who served first in the tabernacle and later in the temple. Theirs was a ministry of representing the people before God until the fulfillment of God's covenant brought all of his people into that new relationship described as a "kingdom of priests."4

New Testament teaching on ministry centers around the term diakoneo5 which expresses Jesus' view of service. What Jesus accomplishes through the use of diakoneo is to effectively "reverse in ethical estimation the relation between serving and being served."6 By his own example he institutes a new pattern of human relationships, reversing the ideas of greatness and rank, and demonstrating the essence of service through the offering up of his own life. A New Testament understanding of ministry then, is service rendered either to God or to people in an attitude of loving submission to Christ.

The goals or purposes of this ministry find clearest expression in Ephesians 4:7-16. God equips his people for the work of service (diakonia), and this work is "to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12b-13). Ministry is intended to build up the body of Christ, to produce spiritual maturity, individually and corporately.

Biblical Roots of Music Ministry

Music ministry finds its roots in the Jewish Levitical system. The Chronicles yield extensive insight into the development of both vocal and instrumental music in worship.7 David, who possessed great musical skills as a youth, was God's instrument to appoint certain Levites over the service of song. These Levites began to shape a music ministry primarily centered on ministry to the Lord through thanksgiving and praise.8 David passed oversight of this ministry to Solomon. For the duration of the kingdom, through the exile, and into the post-exilic period, this Levitical ministry to the Lord endured through instrumental and choral music.9

In the New Testament, three key passages elaborate the role of music in ministry. 1 Corinthians 14:15-16 admonishes us to sing with the spirit and with the mind. In context the idea is of a "spontaneous song which the inspired worshiper might lift to God as he exercised his charismatic gift."10 The most detailed passage, Ephesians 5:18-20, details a ministry of music that results from the "filling" of the Spirit. The key idea is that when one is filled with the Spirit he will instinctively speak to others "in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody" in his heart to the Lord. In Colossians 3:16, Paul writes that these same "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" are useful for the purpose of "teaching and admonishing" fellow believers. Here it is the "word of the Lord" richly dwelling in the heart of the believer which inspires him to sing. It may be stated, summarily, that the New Testament places a high priority on the role of the Spirit in inspiring music and that music is primarily directed to God, although "presumably the use of music and utterances of praise may be didactic."11 Music clearly fills a valid role in the life of ministry to which all believers are called.

As stated earlier, the purpose of music in the church is ministry: ministry to the Lord, ministry to the body of Christ, and ministry to the world. These three aspects of ministry are more commonly discussed with reference to terms like worship, nurture, and outreach. We turn now to these three forms of music ministry.

Music in Relationship to Worship

In relationship to worship there are at least three roles which music can reasonably be expected to fill. First of all, music should encourage worship. If music can encourage the worshiper to participate, then "participation in congregational music can encourage the worshiper to be truly what that term implies-one who worships."12 The struggle for many believers is precisely at the point of participation. They must be encouraged, sometimes prodded, to join in the act of singing. I might note that my experience suggests this to be less of a problem in Taiwan than in American churches. Taiwanese children, youth, and adults alike seem to enjoy group singing. Perhaps the less individualistic orientation of Asian society accounts for this difference. Still, the problem exists to some degree and worship leaders must take seriously their responsibility to encourage all believers to worship through song.

Secondly, music should facilitate worship. Music can facilitate worship by providing the worshiper with texts to express thoughts of adoration, praise and thanksgiving more eloquently than he might be capable of apart from song. Some ideas and emotions are much easier to express through singing than through speech. Music can facilitate worship by reinforcing doctrinal truths which lead the worshiper to reaffirm the majesty of God. Scriptural reminders of God's sovereignty, his grace, his mercy, his love . . . all serve to facilitate our worship. Music can also facilitate worship by creating a particular mood or atmosphere conducive to meditation upon the goodness or graciousness of God. Music has a way of softening the hard heart and calming the anxious spirit. I vividly remember Wednesday evening services at a church I attended during seminary days. I often entered the sanctuary-my mind flooded with thoughts of study, work, and home responsibilities-only to be caught up completely in the harmony of praise that literally ministered peace to my soul. Music has that capacity. It opens our hearts and minds to the ministry of the Holy Spirit and allows us to release those cares and worries that often prevent our hearing his still, small voice.

It is not enough, however, that music should encourage and facilitate worship. Thirdly, music must become worship. The worshiper must understand that "when the voice is lifted in praise, the music produced is actually an act of worship."13

Ultimately, unless we are led to engage in worship we are merely spectators, not true worshipers, and the role of music in worship has been prostituted. To passively sit or stand, listening while others worship the Father, even to be moved by the beauty of their song, is not necessarily to have become a worshiper. Worship is an act in which we participate.

Western churches have placed too much emphasis on the performance of individuals or groups. We have brought too much of the concert mentality into our churches. Though it may be beautiful music, it is not necessarily worship. And that is not to pass judgment on it, rather to argue that our deepest need is not aesthetic, but spiritual.

Likewise, those who argue that only certain types of music-traditional hymns or contemporary choruses-are conducive to worship are often guilty of forcing their personal musical tastes on others. It is at this point that I must express concern over a rather common dichotomy drawn in Taiwanese churches between praise and worship. The Sunday service typically begins with some twenty to thirty minutes of singing praise choruses. In every church that I have observed this time is characterized by freedom, exuberance and joy. Then the service begins. In some cases the worship leader announces that worship will now begin. With solemnity the congregation proceeds through a formal pattern consisting of hymns (as opposed to choruses), responsive readings, and choral responses (three-fold Amens, etc.). I personally would like to see movement toward integration of these two extremes. Worship need not be unstructured to be exuberant nor structured to be solemn.

Any attempt to narrowly define what styles of music are appropriate in worship is also risky. Who are we to judge for others that one style of music is more worshipful than another? I recently attended a conference in which all of the music was lively, contemporary, praise choruses. Some of the choruses chosen were much livelier than I prefer. During one break between sessions, when someone complained a bit about the style of music, I replied, "It's not the kind of music I would have chosen . . . but it has ministered to me." I believe it ministered to me because I was willing to participate, to take the words of those songs and make them the expression of my heart to God. To say that we are unable to worship through some particular style of music is to say more about ourselves than about the music. Certainly we all have preferences, but if our heart's desire is to worship, we will find there are a variety of forms in which to worship. I am inclined to say that any music that draws our attention to the Father, rather than to the music itself, is suitable for use in worship.

Music in Relationship to Nurture

In relationship to nurture there are two primary roles that music is capable of filling. The first of these is to teach biblical truth and content. R. W. Dale declares, "Let me write the hymns and the music of the church, and I care very little who writes the theology."14 The theology of hymns and choruses is of vital significance for it has been observed that "a great deal of theology is firmly established in the consciousness and affections of a congregation through the hymns it comes to know and love."15 If the worship leader is trained in theology and gives due consideration to the selection of hymns and choruses, there are few limits to how much biblical truth can be taught to a congregation. In Taiwan, however, many, if not most, of our worship leaders are untrained. Even these untrained worship leaders can be led to understand that the hymns and choruses are best chosen not by the attractiveness or singability of the melody but by the content of the words. You might find it helpful to take a team approach to worship planning. Spend time reading the words of hymns and choruses. Ask the following questions: Is this song rooted in a particular biblical text? Does this song teach a specific truth? Is this song directed to God or to fellow Christians? Is it a song of praise or an expression of testimony? You might choose some favorite hymns and choruses and build a Bible study around them. Ask group members to look for scriptural passages that support the text of the song. Such an approach can help the whole congregation better grasp the role of music in relationship to teaching biblical truth.

The second role of music in relationship to nurture is to encourage the living out of biblical truth learned through the singing of hymns and choruses. Thoughtful selection of music can exhort, encourage, challenge, and stimulate the believer to struggle with the biblical truth at the point of application. Let me illustrate this.

A hymn like "Trusting Jesus"16 can challenge the believer to a pattern of daily dependence on Christ to sustain him or her through life's trials. He or she learns that, "Singing if my way is clear, Praying if the path be drear; If in danger for Him call; Trusting Jesus, that is all" is an appropriate attitude for a believer to adopt. And words such as these will often plant themselves in our minds long after the scriptures we once memorized are forgotten.

A chorus like "For I'm Building A People of Power"17 can go a long way toward establishing a vision among a group of believers struggling to plant a new church. We sing this chorus often in our new chapel in Lu Jou.

For I'm building a people of power, And I'm making a people of praise.
That will move thru this land by my spirit, And will glorify My precious name.
Build Your church, Lord, Make us strong, Lord,
Join our hearts, Lord, Thru Your Son.
Make us one, Lord, In Your body, In the Kingdom of Your Son.

I deliberately choose this chorus because it communicates basic biblical truth about the kind of church I believe God desires to establish, not only in Lu Jou but throughout Taiwan-a people characterized by power and praise and a church characterized by strength and unity. When we choose songs that reinforce the themes we emphasize through preaching and teaching, we enable our people to more thoroughly grasp the vision we seek to communicate.

Music in Relationship to Outreach

In relationship to outreach there are also two key functions which music performs. Music can be a great vehicle for proclaiming the gospel. The ministry of the Heavenly Melody Singers through Overseas Radio and Television (ORTV) is one prime example of how music is used in Taiwan and throughout Asia to proclaim the gospel. Numerous other music groups have been used with great success by large established churches and struggling new chapels as well. Music, especially indigenous in form, is able to penetrate a heart that is closed and hardened to the spoken word.

A second valuable role of music in outreach is that of calling to response. In many American churches the hymn of invitation is a time of calling for a response to the proclaimed word. Rarely is such a call for public response seen in churches in Taiwan. Perhaps that is appropriate, but giving an altar call is only one method of calling to response. There are times when it is altogether appropriate to sing a hymn or chorus intended to illicit a response in the hearts of worshipers. In the chapel where I serve we do not often call for public response, but we often utilize a hymn or chorus of response. If the message focused on the importance of yielding to the leadership of God's Spirit we might sing a hymn like "Fill Me Now."18 On the other hand, if the message dealt with the importance of confessing our sins and seeking God's cleansing, I would likely choose the chorus, "Create in Me a Clean Heart."19 The form can and should vary, but the role of calling for response is a legitimate function of music in relationship to outreach.

Music and the Worship Leader

As worship leaders it is vital to maintain growth not only in the area of music and worship, but also in the area of theology. Robert Mitchell states that "a church musician need not be skilled in theology but should attempt to bring 'music as an art form' to the higher understanding of 'music as the ministry of the gospel.'"20 Perhaps there is a need to qualify the term "skilled in theology." If music really has the capacity to play a vital role in Christian nurture, then the worship leader has a vital role in grounding his people in Christian doctrine. One need not be a seminary graduate to engage in ministering the gospel through music. Sensitivity to the leadership of the Holy Spirit combined with commitment to Scripture is sufficient theological "skill" for the lay worship leader.

My present perspective is shaped by two intense struggles. The first was a long time struggle to transition from music director to worship leader. My early training focused on music alone. A good music director was one who provided the people with a variety of musical experiences that expanded their musical appreciation. I learned from experience, however, that expanding the musical tastes of a congregation has little relationship to worship.

What is the function of a worship leader? Primarily, a worship leader must worship. He must accept the responsibility to discipline himself spiritually in order that growth might take place and true worship might be experienced consistently. He must seek to understand the congregation he leads both from a musical and a theological standpoint. He must be able to work with other worship planners in preparing worship services in such a way that all participants are enriched spiritually. He must be sensitive to the leadership of the Spirit and willing to follow that leading. He must also be able to carry out his leadership responsibilities while actively participating in the worship experience.

The second great struggle that shapes my perspective is my present struggle to function as worship leader in a language that is not my mother tongue. If it is true that one cannot truly function as a worship leader unless he himself actively participates in worship while leading, then I must learn to worship in Taiwanese. It concerns me when I hear missionaries express their inability to worship in their ministry language. I would be untruthful were I to suggest that I prefer worship in Taiwanese to worship in English. There is a freedom for me when I worship in English that I doubt I will ever experience in Taiwanese. Nevertheless, there are aspects of worship in Taiwanese that I cherish. There are certain choruses that I first learned in Taiwanese. I can sing them in English, but they don't move me the way I am moved when I sing them in Taiwanese. I work at learning the words to the hymns and choruses we sing so that whether I am leading worship, playing the piano, or participating with others in the congregation, I am able to worship. I confess a preference toward choruses because they are easier to learn, but I try not to let that preference overly influence the selection of music for our worship times.

For the missionary seeking to function as worship leader in a Mandarin, Taiwanese, or Hakka congregation, much preparation is required. I could wish for more freedom from my language restrictions to respond to the prompting of the Spirit. But that limitation can be overcome by careful and prayerful preparation. That limitation, however, also reveals an area of important consideration for the worship leader. Our role is not to perform for the benefit of men, to impress them either with our eloquence or lack thereof. Worship is directed toward God, who is more concerned with the heart than with the tongue. It just may be that the struggle of a humble missionary to worship in broken Taiwanese is viewed by our heavenly Father in much the same way as Jesus viewed the offering of the widow whose two small copper coins seemed worthless in the eyes of those who brought such rich gifts (Luke 21:1-3). God looks on the heart. I reveal my heart more clearly in the attitude I take toward worship than in the eloquence of my words.

The limitation of language may also serve another added benefit. While I bring a wealth of experience as musician and worship leader to the task at hand, I am, of all men or women in the church, least eloquent. In that respect I am less inclined to intimidate those lay leaders with whom I share worship leading responsibilities. I can set an example for them to follow and watch as they take that example and do with it far more than I am capable of doing. That, after all, is my goal-not to do the work myself, but to enable others to do that work.

ENDNOTES:

1. Bruce Leafblad, Introduction to Church Music, (Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1985).

2. R. Laird Harris, ed., Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, 2 vols. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1980), 2:958.

3. Gerhard Kittel, ed., Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, trans. Geoffrey W. Bromiley, 10 vols. (Grand Rapids; Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1964), 2:81-93.

4. Harris, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, 2:958.

5. Although the term leitourgeo is used sparingly (Acts 13:2; Romans 15:27; Hebrews 10:11). See Kittel, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 4:226f.

6. "In so doing, He purifies the concept of service from the distortion which it had suffered in Judaism. Jesus' attitude to service is completely new as compared with the Greek understanding. The decisive point is that He sees in it the thing which makes a man His disciple." Jesus' discussion of the concept of service centers in the passage found in Luke 22:26f. See Kittel, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 2:84.

7. Cf. 1 Chronicles 9:33; 15:16f; 23:5.

8. 2 Chronicles 8:14; 1 Samuel 16:18.

9. 1 Chronicles 16:4-7.

10. J. W. MacGorman, The Gifts of the Spirit (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1974), 92.

11. C. F. D. Moule, The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Colossians and to Philemon (Cambridge: At the University Press, 1962), 125.

12. Robert H. Mitchell, Ministry and Music (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1978), 79-80.

13. Franklin M. Segler, Christian Worship (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1967), 99.

14. As quoted by Segler, Christian Worship, 94.

15. Mitchell, Ministry and Music, 26-27.

16. Evangelical Formosan Church New Hymnal Editing Committee, New Hymnal (Revised Edition) (Los Angeles: EFC Communication Center, 1991), 168. Words, Edgar Page Stites. Tune, Ira D. Sankey.

17. Ibid., 533. Words and Music, Dave Richards.

18. Ibid., 50. Words, John R. Sweney. Tune, Elwood R. Stokes.

19. Elim Christian Bookstore, ed., 1-4 New Songs Ringing (Taipei: Elim Christian Bookstore, 1992),

245. Words and Music, Dave Fellingham.

20. Mitchell, Ministry and Music, 15.

Jim Courson earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree at Samford University. He is a church developer with the Southern Baptist Mission. He and his wife, Becky, are currently working with a new chapel in the Lu Jou area of Taipei County.

----------------------------------

Originally published in the July 1996 edition of Taiwan Mission

Copyright 1996, Taiwan Mission Quarterly is produced and maintained by Taiwan Missionary Fellowship. Those desiring to reprint articles from Taiwan Mission should write to the editorial committee requesting permission and due acknowledgment should be given.

Mail and comments to:Taiwan Mission (tmission@bapbbs.org.tw)