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Definition
Defining music is like defining languageit is a broad topic, with ramifications beyond the scope of this paper. Put simply, music is an art form of intentional expression of sound, organized to a greater or lesser extent on a series of primary pitches (melody) and supported by subordinate pitches (harmony) in a regulated frequency (rhythm). And art, according to Francis Schaeffer, is life.6 "Even for the great artist, the most crucial work of art is his life."
A biblical definition is difficult to extrapolate, but how the Bible says music has been and is to be used is not. Copious Old Testament scriptures address all areas of life in which music has been found useful. Beyond the liturgical (church) application, music has been useful in all walks of secular (or at least non-worship-centered life)therapy, education, emotional expression, etc.
Music ministry may be defined as the tool or service of worship for the body of Christ. It is not the entirety of a church's worship ministry, but it does play a large and leading role in worship, given its capacity for reaching people in ways that other expressions cannot.
Characteristics
For the purposes of ministry, music is functionalit is done for a specific reason, not for its own sake. As a worship tool, music ought to be the best it can beafter all, does God not demand our best sacrifice? Also, inasmuch as we are first of all spiritual beings, our first "language" is the spiritual, and no vehicle of expression is as close to the spiritual as music. Other forms are arguably shallower expressions of that which the human soul is capable.
Additionally, music is always original in the sense that it is never done the same way twice. Hence, with every expression of a piece of music, the message it carries is told in a slightly different way. Taking this concept a step further, music is always temporaryeach note will carry its own message, and the time it takes to articulate the note will never be experienced again. This brings the capacity of communication from the composer to the performer to the audience.
Like any other art, music is important to God.7 It is an expression of creativity, and only man has been entrusted the right to create. Since God expects the highest quality in the worship of believers, the music should be of high quality as well.
Purpose
If worship is centered around God and is characterized by an overt or underlying focus on him, then its purpose is always an active one: to give God the glory due his name. It is never accidental; it is the sum and focus of all Christian service. It informs and properly orients all other ministries.
Music in a ministerial sense is a vehicle for worship. It helps to organize and codify doctrine, efficiently serves convicting themes by bypassing rational gatekeepers in the audience's consciousness, and most importantly, conditions the mind to more effectively comprehend the subject of the lyrics.
Music should not, however, become a distraction. Music can interfere with worship on a number of fronts. First, it may be too fine in quality. Nicholas Wolterstorff has suggested that a preoccupation with music quickly becomes idolatry.8 By extension, this idolization can be applied to the artist as welleither the composer or the performer (more likely, since the performer is the closest link to the audience).
On the other hand, music cannot be of too poor quality, either. Music that does not challenge the listener, that does not make the audience somewhat uncomfortable, becomes a kind of mental anesthetic, leaving the recipient thinking very little (if anything) about the message being carried in the music.
Additionally, music is used to prepare the congregation for the speaking of the Word. Conditioning the heart is the best way to open the mind, and biblical truth has historically (and doctrinally) been intended to be conveyed didactically. Music can accomplish this by itself, but not as efficiently as prose without rhythmic or poetic constraints.
Finally, music serves to convict. It does this on multiple levels: it addresses spiritual shortcomings and faults, exposing sin and imposing an obligation for response and correction, it spurs worshipers to maintain positive spiritual habits.
No other ministry, save that of preaching, has so pivotal a role in the development of the body of Christ. It is often incorrectly regarded as a "poor cousin" to such bread-and-butter ministries as evangelism and education; in fact, this flawed thinking often infects the attitude toward the entire concept of worship itself. Since we are left on earth to point to God, it is of paramount importance that the church maintain a high regard of worship. Otherwise, the very impetus for other ministries will surely evaporate along with it.
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