RE: [Worship] Counterpoint to Multicultural part III and guidelines for multicultural expression

[Alan Wagner <wagnera@conlog.co.za>]

Resolving Musical Style Tensions	

(notes from Chapter Twelve of "The New Worship" by Dr. Barry Liesch)

8 reasons why music is a divisive issue in churches
1. Our self-interests come first
*	we like to be entertained
*	we think we are mature
*	we don't ask the primary question

2. People want what is comfortable, what suits their personality
*	singing involves performance 	( we listen to sermons, but
perform hymns)
*	demands physical commitment	(listening to sermons is more
passive)
*	afraid of looking stupid

3. Music is a language
*	we know some music better than others
*	we learn through repeated exposures
*	we want instant, exquisite experiences
*	we're unwilling to learn new languages

4. Some languages offend us
*	go against our training and upbringing
*	may be "hooky," lacking elegance...(e.g. country music)

5. Music triggers associations
*	evokes memories, awakens consciences
*	associations depend on experience

6. Music is assigned moral value
*	Can music without words be evil or good?

7. T R A D I T I O N !
*	We've always done it this way
*	the doxology ends our service
*	we sing all the verses
*	Who are you to tamper with our traditions?

8. The music business divides us
*	radio stations target specific audiences
*	rock, rap, new age, big band, etc
*	people accustomed to their kind of music
*	but at church young & old can't always have their own way
*	we must consider styles of others
*	musicians may not know our style

The result?--TENSION!

The Solution: 
*	look at Pentecost
*	look at church leaders (Peter, James, Barnabus, Paul)
*	apply it to today
Pentecost
*	Pentecost brought diversity
*	A Pentecost of many languages
*	Babel reversed
*	tongues of fire --> speak local dialects (15 language groups
listed)

Similarities:
*	A Church of many music's
*	music tracks language
*	mimics syntactic structures, inflections
*	many languages => many music's

We have a Pentecost of music styles!
The Early Church: Jewish  with shapers of change
*	Peter:
*	James:
*	Barnabus:
*	Paul:
Peter:  God shows no favouritism

Voice Confronts Peter:   "kill and eat"
Voice Confronts Peter:   "kill and eat"
Voice Confronts Peter:   "kill and eat"

*	Peter resists 3 times 
*	the vision appears foreign and wrong
*	goes against his conscience, training, and upbringing

Similarities:
*	some music's feel foreign, wrong, impure
*	go against our training and upbringing
BUT:
*	no melody, scale, chord, texture, rhythm, or instrument must be
off-limits for Christian Music
*	any music style is redeemable
*	Do not despise "local music dialects" (if we accept a southern
drawl from the pulpit, shouldn't we accept the possibility of country
music from the band?)
The Issue: Accepting People

*	Peter did not associate with gentiles 
*	prevented intimate fellowship
*	reflection brings change of attitude - sees Gentiles as equals

"God does not show favouritism but accepts men from every nation"
Acts 10:35	
Peter drops his "Standards" and enters the home of Cornelius--eats,
sleeps there
Who underwent the greater conversion? Peter or Cornelius?

The Holy Spirit falls on everyone at the house

A Pentecost for the Gentiles - Jerusalem demands an explanation!

Thinks:					Says:
"I don't identify with it"			"not my kind of music"
"what will my friends think?" 		"that's embarrassing"
"doesn't suit my image" 			"that junk?"
"seems unclean"			"that's evil"

* reject music --> reject the person *
mocking is the ultimate rejection	 	"what kind of person
likes THAT?"
				"bunch of barbarians"
Applications from Peter

*	invite people into your home when implementing change
*	deepens friendships
*	communicates acceptance
*	build bridges between groups (Peter allays the fears of the
Jerusalem church)
James:  we should not burden you

*	Jerusalem Council: Another Cultural Test
*	issue: Jews contended, "you cannot be saved without
circumcision"
*	issue had theological and cultural dimensions
*	works instead of grace
*	imposed a painful ritual
Response of Jerusalem Council
Unanimous:
*	"we should not make it difficult"
*	"not... burden you"
*	"[not put on you] a yoke"

*	no mandatory requirements  on nonessentials
*	Wesley's tunes & rhythms for Fiji Islands? 
Key Points
Pentecost
many languages, many music's
Pentecost of musical styles
Peter
no foods unclean --> no melody, rhythm, instrument off-limits
if you reject someone's music,            you may unintentionally reject
them
build bridges, invite people home
James
no requirements on non-essentials





Barnabus: Focus on God's Working

*	Jews flee to Antioch & share good news with Gentiles
*	a Gentile church forms - Jerusalem sends Barnabus to investigate

Barnabus blesses the ministry:
*	discerns God is behind it
*	stays there to nurture it
*	seeks Paul's assistance

Moment of self-examination:
*	Are we willing to undergo transformation?
*	Do we impose standards that impede the gospel?
*	Do we discern when God is working?	
Paul:  5 steps to unity
*	Paul: Primary shaper of Change
*	Point man for Jewish-Gentile relations
*	Answers questions, provides advice
*	Are his principles valid for us today?
*	Can they relate to musical style?
Meat offered to Idols
Question: When we sit down at someone's house should we ask if the meat
was offered to idols?
Answer: Don't Ask!  Eat whatever is put before you. The earth is the
Lords.  Don't ask if it was offered to idols.  That information could
make you feel guilty.

Here's the passage (1 Corinthians 10:27-28) 
Someone...may invite you to eat with him...Eat anything that is put
before you.  Do not ask to see if it is something you think might be
wrong to eat.  But if anyone says to you, "That food was offered to
idols," then do not eat it, because it might be thought wrong.

*	Don't ask...and don't tell
*	exercise restraint
*	"Whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself
and God."
                                                           
The principles:
*	Eat whatever is put before you. 
*	Don't ask/tell
Contemporary Music
Substituting "meat" for "music", this paraphrase could result:

"Listen to any musical style in the marketplace without raising
questions of conscience.
But if someone regards a music style as unclean, for him it is unclean.
If he listens to it, he feels guilty. "

Contemporary Music Applications of "Don't Ask":

*	If you like a certain melody, don't ask if a non-believer, a
homosexual, or an adulterer composed it.
*	If you love a certain rhythm, don't ask if it is associated with
a dance step.
*	Don't share information with others that could cause unnecessary
problems of conscience.

Two examples:
"that was the rhumba!"
"Jewish non-believer composes top Christian hits"
Paul's Principles:
1. Don't ask/tell
"the man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not"
2. Accept the weak
 "Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgement on
disputable matters."
 
Romans 14:1, 3
do's shouldn't look down on don'ts
3. Don't wound
*	a sensitive conscience is OK
*	concerned about nurture

"Be careful...that the exercise of your freedom does not become a
stumbling block to the weak" 1 Cor. 8:9
"It is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to
stumble"  Romans 14:20

*	something could be right for one person and wrong for another
*	meat contains no sin / music (without words) contains no sin
*	act in faith-- don't violate your conscience

Application: When musical style causes guilt, threatens spiritual
progress, how should we respond?
*	refrain for benefit of your brother
*	work through problem with them
*	don't flaunt your freedom before your weaker brother
*	"Whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself
and God."  Romans 14:22
4. Teach everyone to be strong
For Paul, to be strong means:
to be able to eat all meats, yet be willing to set aside one's freedom
for the sake of one's brother
the only answer to reconciling traditionalists and innovators, but the
process cannot be forced
5. Let each be fully convinced
"I am convinced that no food is unclean in itself"
Romans 14:14
"Everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it
received with thanksgiving"   1 Tim. 4:4
"Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind"
Romans 14:5

*	recognise there are disputable matters -- e.g.. music style
*	some issues do not have one answer
*	recognise that disputes will arise
*	calmly expect them
*	develop your rationale
Keep in mind the big picture !
*	many languages, many music (Pentecost of musical styles)
*	no foods unclean --> no melody, chord, rhythm, instrument
off-limits
*	careful: if you reject someone's music, you may unintentionally
reject them
*	don't impose stylistic barriers that burden the spread of Gospel
*	listen to any style without raising questions of conscience
*	don't denigrate local styles & respect cultural differences
*	don't ask if a non-believer, homosexual, or adulterer composed
it
*	don't share information which causes problems of conscience
*	respect both the musical conservative and progressive
*	act, listen, perform in faith-- don't violate your conscience
*	don't flaunt your stylistic freedom before your weaker brother
*	seek to be stylistically "strong"
*	recognise that disputes will arise
*	develop a convincing rationale


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