Mr. Sublett,I would be interested in your interpretation of this paper.
I have clipped out the document which was a Word document:
I have copied the 32F.doc here:
http://www.piney.com/Farmers-Branch-Music.html
A Consideration Of Instrumental Accompaniment In Corporate Worship The Need For This Consideration
This presentation regarding what the leadership of the Farmers Branch Church believes concerning vocal and instrumental musical expression has been produced as a response to sincere questions posed by genuine disciples who are a part of the heritage of the Churches of Christ. For some time now, FBCC has occasionally incorporated the use of instrumental music into its Sunday morning assemblies in the form of a solo with an instrumental track or a special event such as a musical. This has proven to be a unique experience for anyone who has had their faith nurtured in the context of the Churches of Christ which (in regard to most Churches of Christ) have been exclusively a capella in their form of worship. The Purpose Of This Consideration
The purpose of this presentation is to set forth what the leadership believes the Lord's will to be for the Farmers Branch Church concerning vocal and instrumental musical expression. The intent of this effort is not to test oneís relationship with the Lord, or to define a belief system required for membership in this church, or to despise or judge anyone who does not agree with this position. Acceptance is not conditioned on any particular view of music. The intent is to articulate the leadership's view so that members and especially prospective members may know the church's position on this matter. This flexibility results from the belief that music, vocal and/or instrumental, is not a "salvation issue", and thus is not one of the core beliefs of this church. Where Is The Leadership In Regard To This Subject?
The leadership believes that music lifted up in praise to God and His Son is an outpouring from the heart of a person filled with the Holy Spirit. This offering can be vocal, instrumental or both together. This conclusion is the result of much prayer and considerable study of the Scriptures on this matter. The Leadershipís Position In Light Of The Scriptures
There are numerous references in the Bible to singing with and the playing of musical instruments in worship to God. These references in Old and New Testament are attached at the conclusion of this paper, and the reader must take into consideration the context of each verse in his/her study of this issue. This particular discussion will center on the passage in Ephesians 5:18-21 (paralleled in Colossians 3:16). This is because questions often have arisen as to whether or not instruments are to be used since seemingly none is mentioned in this passage. This particular passage is often the most-cited by those who have held a conviction that itís against the will of God for there to be any type of instrumental accompaniment.
The passage reads as follows: Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (NIV)
There are three areas that should be recognized and addressed concerning what this Scripture has to say: contextual emphasis; Greek and Hebrew word meanings; Old and New Testament continuity. Context
The immediate as well as the broader context of these verses is very instructive. In the passage Paul identifies three characteristics of a Spirit-filled person: singing to one another and to the Lord; giving thanks to God in Jesus' name; being submissive to one another. Within this framework the music which genuinely speaks to the believer and expresses praise to the Lord is that which issues from a heart filled with the Spirit. Put another way, the musical expression is an outpouring of the human vessel from the Spiritual content contained within. Consequently, the presence (or absence) of a musical instrument is not primary, but the expression of a Spirit-activated heart is. As a further observation, the setting (i. e., an assembly or 'worship service') is not a factor governing the means by which music is rendered. With respect to the broader context of this section of Ephesians, Paul is clearly discussing our Christian walk and our relationships with one another. An assembly is irrelevant. These matters including music are appropriate in all settings. Contextually, there is no differentiation in the unassembled and assembled church--what is musically appropriate for the disciple unassembled is appropriate for the disciples assembled. Greek And Hebrew Word Meanings
The second area of interest centers on the meaning and usage of the Greek words for make music and psalms. In order to avoid a lengthy discussion with considerable linguistic jargon and technical terminology only a few summary statements are offered.
The Greek words translated make music and psalms, "psallo" and "psalmos", respectively, had in secular Greek the meanings to pluck, pull, twitch; then to play a stringed instrument (psallo); and twitching or twanging, the sound of a harp (psalmos).
These Greek words in the Septuagint (The Greek Old Testament) stand for the Hebrew words "zamar", to make music vocally and instrumentally, and "nagan", to touch or play a stringed instrument, corresponding to "psallo"; and "mitzmor", the sound of a harp, then, words sung to the sound of harp, i. e., a song, corresponding to "psalmos". The Hebrew word "mitzmor" is the word for the Psalms of the Old Testament. (Note: References to the Septuagint, which was the Greek Old Testament, are important because it was the ìBibleî of the first century Christians.) The words "psallo" and "psalmos" as used in secular Greek literature from the 5th century B.C. to the 2nd century A.D. apparently never referred to singing but only to the playing or the sound of an instrument. In the New Testament "psallo" means to make music in praise or to sing praise to God and is translated make music. The word "psalmos" means song and is translated psalm referring almost certainly to the Old Testament Psalms. These words may imply singing with instrumental accompaniment but do not demand it.
The conclusion resulting from this study of word meanings is that musical instruments are not denied or demanded in singing praise to the Lord. The facts of this study inevitably beg the question: if the Holy Spirit, speaking through Paul, intended to prohibit musical instruments in praise to the Lord, why did He use words which were so commonly associated with them? The mention of these words would undoubtedly conjure up thoughts of musical instruments in the recipients of Paulís first century letter to the Ephesians. Therefore, the first century Christians (writers and readers alike) would almost certainly have had no problem with singing to instrumental accompaniment based on Biblical words and their usage. Old And New Testament Continuity
The third area of interest is Old and New Testament continuity. As was mentioned earlier, singing with instrumental accompaniment is frequently observed in the Old Testament, particularly in the Psalms. In the New Testament, the Book of Revelation, 5:8-9; 14:2-3; 15:2-3, unabashedly describes singing with musical instruments (harps). Since the Old Testament was the "Bible" of the first century Christians, they saw no conflict between the Old Testament and the New Testament writings as they became available, and certainly would have had no inclination to understand music differently. They could vocally praise the Lord in Psalm 148 (Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah) and Psalm 150 (Praise Jehovah with trumpet, harp, lyre, ---) with all their heart, soul and spirit and feel no conflict in the two.
The presence of musical instruments in the worship of God throughout the Old Testament as well as throughout Revelation in the New Testament begs the question. Can one, in light of the totality of the Scriptures, say that God is displeased with the incorporation of musical instruments in the worship of Him if they are mentioned throughout the Old Testament and are present in Johnís description of heaven throughout Revelation? The leadership is aware that the incorporation of musical instruments is not mentioned in the worship of the early church anywhere in the New Testament until the book of Revelation. It is hesitant, however, to concretely proclaim on the basis of their absence that God is displeased with and disapproves of instrumental accompaniment altogether, especially in light of musical instruments being a part of worship throughout the Old Testament and in Revelation. A Summary Of The Leadershipís Conclusion
The conclusion of the FBCC leadership after much prayer and study is that vocal and/or instrumental music is an acceptable expression of praise to the Lord. The leadership does not see this position standing in conflict with the Scriptures. What is in conflict with them is that, for the sake of maintaining a tradition, FBCC quite possibly has put itself further out of touch with those whom it desires to touch the most, the unchurched of our culture. There can be no question that this was and is the top priority of Jesus, nor is there any question that He was constantly in conflict with the traditions of His day.
Because the purpose of the Farmers Branch Church is to accept people where they are and challenge them to grow in Christ, FBCC must take into consideration where the unchurched are in its attempt to meet them on common ground and lead them to holy ground. Music, specifically of the nature of instrumental accompaniment, is a common feature of life in our everyday culture. One doesnít turn on the radio and frequently hear a capella songs, nor go to concerts, or listen to CDís and tapes featuring a capella music. The scores and soundtracks to movies are rarely a capella. When our culture thinks of ìmusicî it automatically assumes songs with instrumental accompaniment. The musical form of a capella is not something many in our culture are accustomed to listening to or appreciating.
The leadership of FBCC believes in the beauty, simplicity, and power of a capella music and is committed to continuing it as a tradition at FBCC. However, it also is hesitant to offer it as the only form of musical expression as it attempts to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to our culture in ways, mediums, and forums which our culture relates to and values. While the leadership does not deny that a capella music can powerfully impact the human spirit, it also believes that it is unrealistic to expect a capella music to affect, impact, and reach anybody/everybody, especially since we live in a culture so conditioned with an appreciation for instrumental accompaniment. Music, a capella and instrumental, is powerful and has a point of leverage upon the human spirit. The leadership seeks to continue to allow for both forms of musical expression to exist in FBCCís assemblies for the purpose of, as Paul would put it in I Corinthians 9:22, ìbecoming all things to all men so that by all possible means, I might save some.î
The leadership does not wish to lead anybody to conclude that FBCC believes music is the ìend-allî of reaching the lost and impacting lives. As has already been stated, the leadership believes God does not have a preference as to whether or not songs are sung with instrumental accompaniment. What God cares for is people coming into an intimate relationship with Him through Christ Jesus. The criteria then for discerning whether or not to incorporate instrumental accompaniment is its impact and importance to the unchurched of our culture. Will it help us in our mission to bring people to Jesus? We believe music with instrumental accompaniment is such a strong feature in our culture, that we would be wise to have it as a presence in our efforts to meet people on common ground and lead them to holy ground.
Are we saying then that God ìneedsî instrumental music to touch people and change people? Absolutely not. He doesnít ìneedî it any more than He ìneedsî a worship service to last an hour and fifteen minutes in order to reach people. Incidentally, why do churches try and have assemblies that last no more than 60-90 minutes? Why not have three-hour assemblies? God could work just as well in a three-hour assembly. The reason few churches have that long of an assembly is because they know most of their visitors wouldnít come back, nor would most members for that matter, if they had three hour long worship services. The fact is, when it comes to the length of worship services in America, churches have made a cultural concession in regard to the length of their assemblies in order to ensure that people will come back. Churches understand how important ìtimeî is to people in our American culture. The leadership of FBCC believes that while music with instrumental accompaniment may not be as important to people in our culture as ìtimeî is, it certainly isnít far behind. Therefore, the leadership reasons that it is worth making a cultural concession in regard to instrumental music in order to reach more people. HOW will this be done at FBCC? WHAT will this mean for FBCC assemblies? These questions will be answered in just a moment.
At this moment, the leadership simply wishes to reaffirm that while music and musical accompaniment is important, it is love for God and love for neighbor which changes people. This happens when the death and resurrection of Jesus are proclaimed, and people come to know God's love for them through their acceptance of Jesus and become His students (disciples). In view of this, music is a means by which one expresses praise and worship to the Lord for the good He has brought into that person's life and can be a vehicle through which the good news can touch peopleís lives. But music, vocal or instrumental, is not an end in and of itself.
The leadership of FBCC believes there is considerable latitude in the medium and style of musical expression in worship. But it also understands that while many in its church family do not have scriptural convictions concerning a capella or instrumental music, they are not necessarily edified by the incorporation of instrumental accompaniment. In fact, there are some who are distracted by its presence. The reasons are varied.
Some are just accustomed to the a capella environment and conditioned to worship in such a form. Consequently, the introduction of instrumental accompaniment is more of a distraction than a help to them personally in the worship experience.
Another reason could be the fact that FBCC has had such a rich tradition of doing a capella worship so well, itís difficult for some to imagine instrumental accompaniment as enriching the experience any further. In some cases, quite honestly, instrumental accompaniment can diminish the worship experience if it is done poorly. (Just as thereís no greater argument against the power of a capella music than ìbadî a capella music, so thereís no greater argument against the power of instrumental accompaniment than ìbadî instrumental accompaniment.)
Some have difficulty with instrumental accompaniment because its presence seems to put a focus on the congregation listening to and/or watching instrumental accompaniment as opposed to participating in the worship experience.
The leadership understands all of these concerns as being very legitimate and warranted, given the abuses of instrumental accompaniment in worship experiences throughout church history. It is with a healthy awareness of these realities that the leadership seeks to incorporate instrumental accompaniment in a responsible manner while respecting peopleís margins for distraction.
The leadership has been and will continue to be dedicated to using a cappella music in FBCCís current Sunday morning assemblies, while allowing for periodic special music and special event musicals which utilize instrumental accompaniment. This has offered the best consistency respecting the non-instrumental tradition of the Churches of Christ while sensitive to FBCC's vision of outreach as expressed through a worship style more relevant to the unchurched of our time and culture. A Vision For The Future Of Instrumental Accompaniment And FBCC
What has just been shared is a summary of where the leadership of FBCC is at the present moment in regard to instrumental accompaniment and Sunday morning assemblies. The leadership hopes the reader recognizes its sensitivity to and love for its present membership and its rich heritage in the Churches of Christ. At the same time, it also is passionately committed to the proactive effort of reaching the unchurched of our culture, meeting them on common ground and leading them to holy ground. Where the Scriptures give freedom, it is committed to exploring and experimenting in an effort to connect with the unchurched of our culture. The leadership believes it would be a travesty if we allowed any tradition to become a barrier to more people coming into relationship with Jesus Christ through FBCC.
The leadership is also conscious of the next generation of believers, our children and teenagers, who are growing up in our community of faith. The leadership seeks to make proactive efforts ensuring that FBCC will be a place where they can continue to flourish spiritually and minister as adults one day. For a while now, our childrenís ministry and youth ministry has incorporated music with instrumental accompaniment more and more in its own worship environments and efforts to edify and evangelize young people. The younger generations of believers in our church family are very much acclimated to worshiping God with instrumental accompaniment. With an eye toward the future, the leadership wants to ensure that there will be a place for instrumental accompaniment in our corporate assemblies for the sake of a new generation of believers who are very accustomed to and edified by music with accompaniment.
So where is FBCC headed in the foreseeable future in regard to instrumental music? God has been very gracious to our church family. In the past 18 months, weíve seen a 30% increase in attendance and well over 300 new members join our family. Weíve been blessed to witness dozens of adults baptized into Jesus Christ. Weíve been blessed to see an abundance of visitors join us every Sunday for worship. Every Sunday, there are cars parked on Webb Chapel and Valley View Lane with no available parking spaces in the parking lot. Quite frankly, FBCC is having difficulty with its facilities and operations keeping up with its growth. What a great problem to have!
The leadership believes it is time to launch a third worship assembly for the sake of making a proactive effort to make more space for more people to ìparkî - ìoutsideî and ìinsideî FBCC. It also believes this third service would be an appropriate time to explore and experiment more thoroughly in regard to instrumental accompaniment in a worship assembly.
In light of this, after many months of planning and prayerful consideration, the leadership seeks to begin a third worship service on Saturday nights beginning in the Fall. It would not be a ìseekerî service or ìevangelisticî service, but would be a regular worship service just like the two Sunday morning assemblies featuring communion, the same sermon, the offering, etc. Nursery and Kids Branch would also be offered as well. The dress will most likely be more casual. The primary difference between the Saturday night worship service and Sunday morningís worship service would be the incorporation of live instrumental accompaniment with many of the songs. Steven Polk, the worship minister, would lead this assembly. It would be a ìblendedî worship experience, with much of the worship time incorporating instrumental accompaniment, while still occasionally incorporating the a capella form. The instruments used would vary from time to time but may include a guitar, a keyboard, a cello, electronic percussion (the volume level can be better regulated), and a bass guitar. They would often be used together, but may also be used individually depending upon the songs.
The leadership believes that a Saturday night worship assembly of this type is a worthwhile effort. In the Metroplex, Saturday nights have proven to be a viable time for the unchurched to visit a church. A number of churches in the area have experienced evangelistic success and growth through Saturday night assemblies. Our purpose is not necessarily to be like those churches, but we can learn from them as we seek to expand our efforts to reach more people with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.
The reasons Saturday night assemblies ìworkî in some churches are varied and educated guesses, at best. One possibility is that that we live in a culture where some unchurched people are looked for positive alternatives to the traditional secular Saturday night experiences. Another possibility is that as our American culture has changed over the years, more and more people are working on Sundays. While the leadership is concerned regarding what this may say about the spiritual priorities and health of our country, it nevertheless desires to make an effort to reach a growing segment of people in our city who, perhaps, would give church a chance on Saturday nights.
A Saturday night assembly would also help create more space on Sunday mornings for people to ìparkî ñ inside and outside the church building. The leadership believes there are enough members who are edified by music with instrumental accompaniment and are interested in being a part of a Saturday night assembly, that a solid core of FBCC members could be assembled to minister to those who would visit or frequent our assemblies on Saturday nights.
The leadership does not wish to leave anybody with the impression that there will never be an assembly of this type on Sunday mornings at some point. But it would not implement one without a considerable amount of prayer, reflection, the leading of the Holy Spirit, and dialogue with the membership of FBCC. Are Saturday Night Services Valid In Light Of The Scriptures?
There are a few questions one might raise in regard to whether or not God would deem a Saturday night worship service acceptable and pleasing in His eyes. The first might be whether or not Sundays are the divinely prescribed time for Christians to assemble.
According to the New Testament, there is no command for Christians to assemble for worship on the first day of the week. There are examples, however, of Christians meeting on the first day of the week, such as Acts 20:7. There is little doubt this was tied to the reality of Jesus being resurrected on the first day of the week. This is, indeed, a good reason to have a Christian worship assembly on the first day of the week. Itís interesting to consider, though, that in Jewish culture in the first century, 6 p.m. on Saturday was the beginning of their first day of the week. Acts 20:7 mentions the apostle Paul preaching to the people on the first day of the week and, because he needed to leave the next day, he kept on talking until midnight. Of course, the Christians could have been meeting on Sunday afternoon and their meeting extended into our Monday morning.
One other thing to consider when addressing this question is that there are also examples of Christians meeting every day in assemblies in Acts 2:42, 46. The fact is we have examples in Acts of Christians assembling on both the first day of the week and every day of the week, but there is no command as to what particular day of the week to assemble. The only command in regard to Christians assembling is given in Hebrews 10:25 which calls us to not give up meeting together. Some have used the phrase ìas you see the Day approachingî to say that the time for assembling was Sunday. But ìthe Dayî in this passage refers to the same concept as ìDay of the Lordî in the Old Testament. The ìDay of the Lordî always referred to a time in which Godís judgment was implemented. In Hebrews 10:25 ìthe Dayî refers to the last or final judgment of God. This same idea is continued in Hebrews 10:27,30, and 31. The emphasis of Hebrews 10:25 is upon the importance of Christians maintaining the habit of meeting together until Judgment Day. What About Communion On Saturday Nights?
A second question one might raise in regard to a Saturday night worship service concerns the partaking of the Lordís Supper or communion. Is it acceptable to partake of the Lordís Supper on days other than Sunday or instead of Sunday? Acts 20:7 is often stated as the Scriptural justification for partaking of communion on Sunday since it states that Christians came together on the first day of the week to break bread. Once again it is a considerable possibility that the Christians in that passage were meeting on Saturday evening since the first day of the week in their culture began at 6 pm on Saturday nights. Also, Acts 2:42,46 refers to the church meeting together every day to devote themselves to the apostlesí teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer. The phrase ìbreaking of breadî is the same one used in Acts 20:7. If it refers to the partaking of the Lordís Supper, then we have examples of Christians partaking the Lordís Supper on days other than the first day of the week as well as the first day of the week.
The only command related to the observance of the Lordís Supper is the Lordís command which calls us to partake of it in remembrance of Him as Paul quoted in I Corinthians 11:23-25. Itís worth noting that in the very next verse, I Corinthians 11:26, Paul says, ìFor whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lordís death until He comes.î Apparently, when we partake of communion is not as important as the spirit in which we partake of communion. The leadership of FBCC believes in the importance of offering weekly communion in its worship assemblies for the sake of habitually reorienting its membership in the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ ñ in remembrance of Him. The Center Of Worship ñ The Heart
There was a time when worshipping God was connected to a place and to a specific ritual. This was the question asked of Jesus by the woman at the well in John 4. His reply indicated a transition from form and pattern for worship to the human heart as the center of worship. Those who worship will do so in spirit and truth. This removes worship from being mediated primarily through form and pattern and spiritualizes it in the human heart. While certain forms and patterns may assist in communicating certain spiritual concepts, they are no longer required as they were under the Old Covenant. Consequently, almost everything pertaining to form or style of worship is left to choice or preference. That would include when to observe the Lordís Supper and its frequency, how many prayers there are at the Lordís Table, whether songs are sung while the Supper is eaten, whether it is eaten as a part of a meal or independent of it, etc., etc. (All of these things have been made divisive issues in churches throughout church history).
This is also true pertaining to the time when Christians assemble. Paul acknowledged there was room for opinion in this regard. Romans 14:5, 13 says, ìOne man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mindÖ..therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another.î There are good theological reasons related to the resurrection of Christ as to why one could consider Sunday as an appropriate time for Christians to assemble. But the principle in this passage suggests that all days are alike to the Lord. Worship under the New Covenant puts the emphasis on the heart and not on the day, form, or pattern of worship. What Does The Leadership Ask Of The Members Of FBCC?
The leadership would not, by any stretch of the imagination, expect everyone at FBCC to be comfortable or edified by this third worship service. It does not want anyone to feel any sense of pressure, whatsoever, to attend. The two Sunday morning assemblies and their music will continue to be done with the highest level of effort as well as excellence for the sake of edifying the believer and evangelizing any unbeliever. The leadership wishes to reaffirm the power and potential of our present Sunday morning assemblies as they are and doesnít want to lead anyone to conclude otherwise.
What the leadership does ask from the membership is an understanding of the leadershipís reasons for promoting this third worship service and the sense of Scriptural understanding and evangelistic purpose from which this third service would be originating. The leadership hopes it is possible that there are some who, while they wouldnít be comfortable worshiping in the Saturday night assembly, would want to support FBCCís efforts on Saturday night either by praying for the assembly or perhaps working in any one of a number of ways outside the assembly (such as in the nursery, Kids Branch, or communion preparation). At the same time, the leadership is also hoping that those who would be a part of the Saturday evening assembly, would also reciprocate by committing to an occasional season of service in some way on Sunday mornings.
It is of utmost importance to the leadership that FBCCís sweet spirit of unity and harmony will continue to be maintained and, perhaps, even highlighted all the more through this effort. FBCCís unity in the midst of its rich diversity has been an attractive feature to many people it has reached over the years and, more importantly, is something that is treasured by God. The leadership asks for members to continue to do what they have done so well in the past, and that is to honor, respect, and encourage one another in the midst of varied opinions and comfort zones.
FBCCís prayer continues to be that of Paulís in Romans 15:6, ìMay the God who gives endurance and encouragement give us a spirit of unity among ourselves so that with one heart and mouth we may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.î
There is no possible way this presentation can address every question one might have regarding instrumental music, Saturday night worship assemblies, the practical challenges and workload for the staff, how to handle the questions of friends or family members who go to other churches, etc. The leadership does hope this presentation will help one to answer some questions regarding where we are and where we are going at FBCC, especially in regard to issues related to vocal and instrumental music in our worship assemblies.
The leadership would like to hear from you regarding any questions you might have which have not been answered clearly or at all. For that purpose, we would like to again meet with you next week at this same time to field such questions. What we would ask you to do is to prayerfully consider your question and write it out, either emailing it to us or mailing it to us as soon as possible. This will allow us as a leadership to make an intentional and efficient effort at addressing your questions in person next Sunday night. We would ask you to make sure and identify yourself when asking a question. We will not identify you publicly as the source of a certain question, but we do want to know who asked what so that we may have further conversation with you, if need be, beyond next Sunday night. Anonymous questions will not be responded to.
Please dialogue with us. We want to hear from you. Your peace of mind and ownership of FBCC ís vision is important to us. We love you, appreciate you, and consider you as partners in the greatest effort and work of all ñ restoring a world to God through Jesus Christ, one person at a time.
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