Christ died for love. All that Jesus did, he did for love, because everything he did was done according to the will of God (“For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me” -John 6:38). God is love personified–the very definition of love (“God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” -1 John 4:16). Everything he does is loving and everything about him is loving, from his grace to his mercy to, yes, even his anger (for his anger at us when we sin is derived from his desire for holiness and the knowledge that we suffer when we separate ourselves from him with our sin), and this is because it is his nature to love. As a result, when we say that Jesus died for love, it is not simply a statement of Christ’s love for us, but an affirmation of God’s character and his status as the source of all true love.

Because of this, the fact that Christ died for us while also dying to serve the Father’s will is not contradictory as some people believe (and my affinity for John Piper is about to be made pretty evident here with what I’m about to say). He died first and foremost for the glory of God, and we do benefit from this–obviously we are to gain directly from Christ’s death and resurrection giving us the opportunity to have our sins forgiven and our lives begin anew. In addition to this, however, at a deeper level we are also fulfilled because the Father was glorified through Christ’s sacrifice, and when God is glorified, our ultimate purpose (to glorify God) is fulfilled–our lives are enriched as a result. The world is only at the right place when God is in his correct position as supreme over all creation. We ourselves are only truly fulfilled when God is glorified, for we were created for God’s glory. When we use our lives to bring glory to God, it naturally draws us closer to him and further fills our lives with his presence, and certainly, what does having an abundant life (John 10:10b) mean if not to have a life filled with God’s presence and Spirit?

We were made for his glory and we find ourselves empty and hollowed out within when we use our lives to pursue other things. This is why when you go into a time of worship with the right motivations–to lift up and glorify God above all else–that you often come out of that time with a sense of fulfillment. Your soul knows that you are living out your purpose, and you are made complete because of it. It is for this same reason that if you enter a time of worship seeking this feeling rather than looking to put God first that you will leave dissatisfied. As soon as you begin to pursue this fulfillment as your main concern it becomes unavailable. It only exists as a by-product of placing God at the center of everything. To chase after an emotional high in a time of worship puts the focus on something other than God and renders that sense of wholeness unobtainable.

We must realize that even though God has given us all specific gifts and abilities that we are to use to pursue the specific purpose he has for our lives, that above all else we were made for his glory! Christ died for love and we are to live for love. It is by doing so–by living our lives in such a way that we die to ourselves and raise God high–that we will change our world for the better! By chasing the light of God’s glory in all that we do, we will spread the love of God throughout the world. Where we go he will go, and as he is glorified we will be made fully alive.

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

Two points I’d like to make, which I’ll then elaborate on:

-The key to relevance is not in the means of communication, but in communicating truth and the Gospel, which are always relevant.
-Trying to be relevant will never work. Instead, we should strive to be who we really are, without any pretensions. Sincerity and genuine behavior such as that will be seen by others as being relevant, because people always need honesty and sincerity; furthermore, when we become who we were truly meant to be (that is, God’s light to a dying world), we are transformed into the very thing the people around us need most, and what does it mean to be relevant than to provide for a applicable need that people have?

I would propose that we in the church need a combination of both relevant context and content, but certainly more the latter than the former. I should say that I’m personally a fan of the use of technology and things such as modern music and art as tools to communicate the Gospel, but this is simply because I, as well as the majority of my church congregation, enjoy and feel a connection with these things in their own right. Thus it’s natural for me to use such tools to present Christ and Him crucified to others. But if a congregation doesn’t normally dig these things? In this case there shouldn’t be any pressure to utilize such resources in order to reach people. There’s a harmful belief circulating through much of the Church that an body of believers cannot be effective ambassadors for the Gospel in their community without being “cool.” While I certainly believe in presenting truth in the language of our culture (something that Paul felt was very important as well, as seen in 1 Corinthians 9, where he emphasizes the importance of becoming “all things to all men” in service of the cause of Christ), it is important that we use means of communication that are the most effective way to reach the people in our specific community, and not necessarily what pop culture as a whole deems as “trendy.” Playing Coldplay tunes in church is fine if your congregation, as well as potential visitors from your community, are edified (and not simply entertained) by this, but you shouldn’t be playing Coldplay simply because they’re on the top 40 or because they’re awesome. Playing Coldplay songs probably won’t work if the group of people God has called you to reach aren’t at all interested in that kind of music.

Furthermore, if you have to try to be “cool,” you probably aren’t. It should be natural, just part of your behavior already. Otherwise it’s forced and fake. If who you are as a person is not “cool” or “trendy” by our society’s standards (a relatively unimportant standard in Christian terms anyway, really), there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, and you shouldn’t pretend to be that way while preparing a church meeting. Unbelievers and believers alike would rather know they’re getting something genuine, even if it means not getting to be the “coolest” church on the block.

Ultimately, the most important thing to consider is that the teaching is relevant. This is still a bit of a loaded statement, as it’s possible to gleam a number of different possible scenarios from the intent to have “relevant teaching.” What I don’t mean are top-10 lists on how to live a better life or any other such works gospel-type teaching. I also don’t mean simply preaching about what people want to hear, or, again, what topics are the “in” subjects to be talking about in the church universal at the moment. What I mean is, simply, that we should preach the Gospel.

This returns us to my earlier point that the most relevant sermon at any given point in time will always be the one that is built upon the solid foundation of Christ and his cross–that is focused on the saving truth of the Gospel. This doesn’t mean, however, that every sermon need be a “salvation sermon”; that is, a message directly geared to unbelievers in order for them to accept Christ as king and savior. What it does mean is that every thing we preach (indeed, everything we do and say period, inside or out of church) must be filtered through the Gospel, for everything ultimately leads back to the cross. All that we have and all that we are is constructed on the knowledge that we were unholy sinners saved by undeserved grace, now saints that are daily further transformed into the likeness of Christ. Any topic that we preach upon, whether it be faith, hope, charity, the Holy Spirit, sin, anything–it must all point back to the cross as our sole source of strength, and serenity. All our power comes from Christ and his Spirit within us, given to us as a result of his cleansing work on the cross making us fit vessels (temples) for the Spirit of the living God. When we talk about faith, we must realize that our faith is in one place alone. When we speak of power in the face of doubt, we always remember that we are powerless without Jesus. When we preach of devotion, we make it clear that there is no higher cause to be devoted to than that of the Kingdom of God. Even if not explicitly stated, it is a truth that must always be understood if we are to see any spiritual growth in our life or impact on the world around us. Without the cross we find ourselves on shaky ground, nothing to support us or hold us up, and our faith begins to crumble in the piercing gaze of our sin and flesh. For only the crucified and risen Christ is strong enough to give us life, hope, and victory over that which once held us bound.

Yes, discontent. I’ll explain.

grate⋅ful [greyt-fuhl]

–adjective

1. warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful: I am grateful to you for your help.

con⋅tent [kuhn-tent]

–adjective

1. satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else.

“Not wanting more or anything else.” At first glance, that seems like it would be a good thing. Aren’t we supposed to be satisfied with what God has given us? Isn’t contentment the opposite of greed, which we are to avoid? In material things, contentment is a virtue. However, when it comes to spiritual matters, we should always be striving for greater things. We should be grateful for what God has given us and done for us, but at the same time we are to continually draw closer to God and develop a stronger relationship with him. In doing so, we become more attuned to his Spirit inside of us and to the things he has called us to do. We cannot be satisfied with imperfection–with only seeing as through a glass, darkly. We cannot be satisfied with being less than what God has called us to be. Instead, we must have a discontent with where we are spiritually, both as individuals and as a world collectively. This means that, while always remaining patient and understanding that God moves in his own time, we should always be doing what we can to push forward and strive towards greater spiritual depth and connection with God. And now more than ever, our world needs the church to come fully alive in this way.

In my previous post, “Conflict in Worship Music,” I wrote that in order for us to truly have honesty in our worship, we must first understand how far we have fallen from grace. This is essential in order for us to make a difference in our world as well. The world is, to put it somewhat crassly, a very screwed up place. War, death, poverty… the list goes on and on. All you have to do is look around to see evidence of the fall of man. And here’s the thing… it’s the church’s job to stop the madness. “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing” (Edmund Burke). If the world goes to hell in the proverbial hand basket, it is only because the church has failed to be Christ in a world that so desperately needs him. We are the light of the world and the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13-14); we, the local church, are the only hope of a dying world. Jesus is no longer with us in the flesh, choosing instead to fill his church with the presence of his Spirit and live through us spiritually. As a result, we have a responsibility and a duty to be the conduit that God will work through in order to impact our world. If we are ever going to see real life change in the world, we together must step up, allow God to fill us with his Spirit, and come fully alive in the purpose that God has given to us.

There is another reason why we are to responsible to live our lives to their fullest potential. I believe at this point in time that God is awakening us to the truth that “the glory of God is man fully alive” (Irenaeus). He is glorified when we live our lives to their fullest potential. It is because we are his greatest creation (and we can make this statement without sinful pride because the statement brings glory to God the Creator, and not to us, the created. We have done nothing to bring us to this place of prominence) that this is true; nothing glorifies God more than for the sole part of his creation that was created in his image to reach its fullest potential–to be fully alive. Through Christ’s death on the cross we are forgiven for our sins, and it is through his resurrection that we are given full, abundant life via his Holy Spirit. It is all because of Jesus that we live.

Not only does it bring God glory when we live fully alive, I believe that God is offended when we choose note to live from the strength that he’s given us. We are more than conquerors, and we have the same power that raised Christ from the grave living inside us (Rom. 8). When we don’t live from this power, we’re not simply limiting our own potential… we’re limiting God’s potential to work in our lives. Of course he can simply move through other means, so ultimately his will is achieved. But what right do we have to deny God an opportunity to do what he loves to do most, and that is to enrich and fulfill the lives of his children. I’m not saying that we fulfill God or anything like that, God is already wholly complete in and of himself (the wonder of the Trinity), but we can’t overlook the fact that God chose to create us and later redeem us out of his desire for communion and fellowship (no one was twisting his arm… he wanted for us to live and be), and we’re taking that away from him when we don’t live from the power and authority of his Spirit. We’re stealing glory away from God and putting out the fire of the Gospel when we don’t live our lives to the full.

So, on this Thanksgiving weekend, I encourage you to take time to reflect on the things God has given us, but also to find in yourself a discontent at the state of the world in which we live and a burning desire to make an impact on those around you. As Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6-7). We are told in this passage to, while still doing everything in a spirit of thanksgiving, bring our requests to God–to take action. Let us push into his throne room boldly, bring our prayers to the Father, and make life change happen, bringing life and hope to a darkened world so desperately in need of a burning light. Go be the city on the hill.

This results in Christian songs, and specifically worship songs, that have a fake feel-good lyric rather than a personal and genuine one. This can be rectified by including conflict and resolution in the songs that we write. What better way to express the real joy that we possess than to show what depths that Christ has lifted us from? Often times my own songs include dark themes that are ultimately resolved by pointing to the One that we worship. I feel that not only are such themes not out of place in a worship setting, they are often times necessary, particularly with any song dealing with the Cross or otherwise with God’s mercy. For how can we understand and appreciate the redemption of the Cross without seeing it within the context of the fall of man? The healthy do not need a doctor (Matt. 9:12). If we simply gloss over the reality of sin, it robs the Crucifixion of its power and meaning. The glory of the gospel is that we were once wicked, but now we have been washed, sanctified, and justified by Christ and his Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:9a, 11). We must understand the depth of our depravity to grasp the fullness of His redemptive sacrifice. Only in doing so will we be able to approach a proper understanding of our relation to God and the need for us to worship Him.

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Cor. 13:12).

Now we see dimly. Now we know imperfectly. But then? In Paradise–in Heaven? We will know as we are known. God knows us fully, more deeply and precisely than we can imagine, so at that time we can expect to finally achieve a complete picture of our God. In the meantime… well, I’ll get to that shortly.

What you are reading is a work in progress, as all things truly are. I’ll be writing about music and worship ministry, as well as church and Christian spirituality in general, and ultimately what these things look like when translated into “real” life. The thing to continually keep in mind though is that this entire writing pursuit you’re reading here is predicated on the idea that we are all works in progress. We are always on a journey to becoming all that we as people were originally made to be, before our human arrogance caused our collective Fall into sin and so forcefully ripped us from the presence of God. Because of this, I’m not going to claim to have any answers of my own to offer; rather, I only strive to illuminate the truths I see revealed in Scripture and creation. I know only in part, and so I’m continually pursuing a deeper spiritual growth that I have not yet achieved, and my writing will reflect this imperfection of my own spiritual journey.

With those things being said, I’ll give some thoughts below about this idea of “knowing in part” that I feel will lay the foundation for the future of this blog. These are the things that I feel are essential to a proper understanding of worship music, and indeed, a right understanding of what it means to live a true life of worship. Hope you enjoy.

~ ~ ~

Why do we play music in church?

Obviously there’s Biblical precedence for it. The Ephesians were instructed by Paul to “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19). Psalm 150 is all about praising God with musical instruments. But what is the reason that has caused music to have a prominent place in the worship of God throughout the millennia?

It’s worth pointing out that though we refer to the music we play in church often times simply as “worship,” in reality that particular music is not in and of itself “worship.” Worship can take many different forms; the definition that scripture gives to us of worship is offering ourselves to God as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1). Another way to think of it is that worship is a lifestyle born out of a heart devoted to serving and living for God in all areas of life. Church music does not have the market cornered on true worship–it is simply worship expressed through music.

There’s a reason that we use music in our worship services so prominently, however. It is because music communicates with our souls in a way that words alone cannot. As John Piper writes,

“… music and singing are necessary to Christian faith and worship for the simple reason that the realities of God and Christ, creation and salvation,heaven and hell are so great that when they are known truly and felt duly,they demand more than discussion and analysis and description; they demand poetry and song and music. Singing is the Christian’s way of saying: God is so great that thinking will not suffice, there must be deep feeling;and talking will not suffice, there must be singing.”
(“Singing and Making Melody to the Lord”)

Right now we see and know in part. We have only glimpsed the glory of God fleetingly; we have only a limited and fractured knowledge of God’s character and his deeds. At those times when we are able to experience a deeper understanding of God, the only way that we can properly express our response is through music. The spoken word can only go so far. Music helps bridge the void in between our human emotions and reasoning and our spirit which yearns to connect with our Father in heaven. It is a great wonder that we are able to reach God with our songs–that we can communicate with a supernatural being with our natural means.

We are spiritual beings. We have the need to get out of the natural and into the supernatural, for God exists in the spiritual realm. Certain things get lost in translation from the spiritual to the temporal, and we end up with a limited view of who God is. His Word (his special revelation to us, along with the general revelation of creation) and our fellowship with him through prayer are intended to open our eyes to see more clearly and to experience God’s presence in our lives more fully. Our fallen minds are still limited by imperfection, and we are unable to completely comprehend God’s truth. It is for this reason that we say that we now know God only in part. The closer we grow to God and the more we are filled with his spirit that brings understanding, the more complete our picture of him becomes–but it will not be until heaven that we are able to fully comprehend God and his glory.

Ultimately this is where our hope comes from. “But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away” (1 Cor. 13:10). The thing that we look forward to is the promise of paradise, when the scales will fall away and we can finally see God in all his glorious splendor. Until then we strive to grow closer to God as best we can, and do all that we can to glorify him and experience his presence more fully in all that we do.