David Yarnell

Songleading

21 October 2015

Having an Answer Essay #2

While on visitation, I have had several conversations about my church and its beliefs. One of the most often breached topics is that of our musical variety, or perhaps the secularly perceived lack of it. The query, “Why does your church use hymns instead of contemporary choruses?” reflects the dilemma many would-be attendees face. How are we to answer this probe into our own spiritual depths? I would venture to say that we could offer powerful scientific evidences as well as probing inductive questions that would move this examiner to shift his or her own perspective closer to our own. Since I intend to address the scientific aspect of this question in a later paper, I will address the very philosophy behind the music as its own proof.

When asked this question, the simple answer is that we use hymns instead of contemporary “Christian” music because hymns are simply superior. This answer will satisfy only the most basic of thinkers. Furthermore, we would be remiss if we were to neglect this opportunity to educate our asker as to our philosophy, thus allowing them to ruminate on the reasons why they choose the music to which they subscribe. There are three basic areas of superiority that a definitive hymn has over its contemporary counterpart: the music, the lyrics, and the theology. Furthermore, all of these aspects can be looked at in two of the letters Paul wrote to churches in Colossians and Ephesians, which obviously set a standard for the type of music we should be using.

The harmony and melody of hymns is the veritable embryo from which the music’s tenor and purpose are defined. Many times unbeknownst to us, we are affected by the music around us, whether we enjoy the genre of music or not. Secular music relies on a heavy beat to convey its influence upon its hearer. This same system is used in contemporary choruses. This approach demonstrates a lack of skill that requires a physiological reaction from the listener to prompt response. It is entirely based on how it affects the chemistry of the body to produce autonomic reaction rather than conscious contemplation of the music itself. Classic and even contemporary songs classified as hymns are differentiated by the quality, diversity, and complexity with which the harmony and melody are combined. Contemporary choruses are characterized by a general strumming of guitars, which require a low degree of complexity and are generally simplistic in their melodic sophistication. The vast majority of contemporary choruses are nearly all able to be played with the same time signature, chord structure, and meter, allowing anyone to transition between songs with little to no variation in melody. Contrariwise, hymns are extremely complex in their melodic composition, allowing for an exponential increase of complexity when coupled with the wide range of harmonic dissonance and consonance available. The very semblance of the word melody, as described by the 1828 dictionary, proffers a commensurate idea to which

melody in worship should be compared: To make melody in the heart, to praise God with a joyful and thankful disposition, ascribing to Him the honor due to His name.

Furthermore, hymns demonstrate lyrical superiority over contemporary choruses. This is readily apparent upon even the most cursory of surveys of comparison between these two entities. First, consider the labels with which these two are differentiated. One group is categorized as a chorus, which is an apt representation of the lyrical complexity. Generally, contemporary choruses are labeled as 7-11 songs, which means they are seven words repeated eleven times, or vice versa. This very connotation distinctively indicates the depth, or should I say the lack thereof, possessed within the message of the song. Understandably, seven to eleven words don’t exactly convey much theological depth in their message either. Secondly, the person, or Person, to whom they are addressed differs as well. The lyrics of contemporary choruses focus on telling the singer to “Shout to the Lord” or give vague generalities as to the attributes of God, such as “Our God is an awesome God.” This requires no thought or reflection on the majesty, love, omnipotence, etc. of the awesome God we presumably serve. According to the psalms, from which we get the pattern for our musical expression of worship, the Lord is the object of our song anyway. That is to say that the reason we sing is to offer God a mere token of our gratitude for what He has done for us, by depicting His greatness and His mighty works in our life, much like the Israelites sang of David at his slaying of Goliath. Perhaps, this is why David was so skilled at offering musical praise and worship to the Lord, because He knew how it felt and wanted to make God feel the same way.

Finally, hymns are superior to contemporary choruses theologically. This aspect is closely connected to the lyrical and melodic superiorities in that it plumbs the depths of theology, requiring greater lyrical explanation and melodic complexity. The idea that God is an awesome God is surely a sound assertion. That being said, the casual nature with which our contemporary culture uses the word “awesome” lends itself to the casual nature with which our society views one’s relationship with the Almighty. Furthermore, the idea of the awesomeness of God is at best shallow. This very concept is why the song “How Great Thou Art” possesses a theological depth that requires us to contemplate how great the Lord has been in our lives. On the other hand, the song, “How Great is Our God” merely states it without much reflection on why or how God is great.

While not all of these aspects need to be disclosed in once setting, it may be beneficial to offer a more cursory explanation with a simple explanation, since long verbal diatribes tend to lose the casual listener. We may even find it more beneficial to address this topic at a secondary, or subsequent, visit in order to allow for a full explanation. Understanding that the hypothetical encounter is during a visitation stop, the recommendation could be made to also allow for a more casual and unrushed avenue in which to present the gospel in an unsaved house, as well.

All the words in this essay, including this statement comprise 1066 words.