A Great Deal on Luther’s Music

You won’t find a better opportunity to acquaint yourself with the hymns and songs of Martin Luther than this.

Concordia Publishing House’s set called, Martin Luther: Hymns, Ballads, Chants, Truth is available in MP3 download format at Amazon for only $5.49.

This set features 39 pieces composed by Luther, interspersed with some of his spoken quotes about the Divine gift of music to encourage our faith and express our worship. I bought this a few years ago and have enjoyed it immensely.

The blurb at CPH says:

This monumental recording project presents, for the first time, a complete recording of all the hymns, ballads, and chants composed or authored by Martin Luther. This four-CD set provides numerous vocal and instrumental settings combining Renaissance, Baroque, and modern instruments.

Many hymns are preceded by preludes composed by significant historic and contemporary composers. All texts are sung in English by a choral ensemble noted for vocal clarity. Historic narrative is provided, quoting Martin Luther concerning music, worship, and liturgy.

The CD retails for $44.95, so this is a great deal. If you click the link above, you’ll be taken directly to Amazon’s page for this recording.

Three Worship Songs Now in the Top 25

Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) is the primary service churches and ministries use to deal with copyright issues related to worship materials. Churches buy a license that allows them, among other things, to print and project songs in their services. They keep records of the songs they use, then send periodic reports in to CCLI so that songwriters and artists get their proper royalties. CCLI keeps a current list of the “Top 25” songs that churches are using.

Last year, we published their list and had a discussion about it. This year, the list has not changed much, with only three new songs appearing. Note: the songs themselves are not necessarily “new” — they may have been around for awhile — but they are now appearing as some of the most regularly used songs in churches that report to CCLI.

Today, I’d simply request your feedback on these songs and what they might say to you about what is happening in contemporary worship today. I want this to be a free discussion, so I won’t add any commentary. Watch and listen to the videos of these three songs that have newly emerged on the “Top 25” list, and then your thoughts, comments, analysis, and perspectives are welcome.

* * *

Forever Reign (#14)
by Jason Ingram/Reuben Morgan
2009 Reuben Morgan/SHOUT! Publishing & Sony ATV/Timber / West Main Music /Windsor Hill Music (SESAC). All rights on behalf of Sony ATV/Timber, West Main Music and Windsor Hill Music admin. by Sony ATV.

The Stand (#22)
by Joel Houston
2005 Joel Houston/Hillsong Publishing (adm. in the U.S. & Canada by Integrity?s Hosanna! Music) c/o Integrity Media, Inc., 1000 Cody Road, Mobile, AL 36695

Glory to God Forever (#25)
by Steve Fee/Vicky Beeching
2009 Worship Together Music/sixsteps Music (BMI) (adm. by EMI CMG Publishing)/Thankyou Music (PRS) (adm. worldwide by EMI CMG Publishing, excluding Europe)

Church Music Philosophy and Guidelines (Roman Catholic)

During Church Music Month, we will give you a chance to look at portions of documents on the subject by various church groups and denominations. We begin with a thoughtful and thorough paper by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, published in 2007, called, “Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship.” You can download the entire document in four parts (PDF) here.

I’d like for us to have a conversation about two small parts of this 87-page document.

First, meditate on the following paragraph about the role of music in corporate worship:

125. The role of music is to serve the needs of the Liturgy and not to dominate it, seek to entertain, or draw attention to itself or the musicians. However, there are instances when the praise and adoration of God leads to music taking on a far greater dimension. At other times, simplicity is the most appropriate response. The primary role of music in the Liturgy is to help the members of the gathered assembly to join themselves with the action of Christ and to give voice to the gift of faith.

In my opinion, that is one of the finest statements I’ve heard about the role of music in the gathered worship of the church. However, it requires accepting a few presuppositions:

  • There is a recognized “Liturgy” in which music functions and to which it is subservient.
  • Music may take a greater or lesser role, depending upon the particular Liturgy being practiced. Again, it plays a servant role, and its specific part in the service is not a given.
  • The purpose of the Liturgy is to communicate the Gospel: to tell the story of Christ (grace) and encourage our response (faith). Music serves these Gospel purposes.

The second part of the USCCB paper involves how church leaders should go about choosing the best music for corporate worship. “Sing to the Lord” suggests that there are three judgments that must be made:

126. In judging the appropriateness of music for the Liturgy, one will examine its liturgical, pastoral, and musical qualities. Ultimately, however, these three judgments are but aspects of one evaluation, which answers the question: “Is this particular piece of music for this use in the particular Liturgy?” All three judgments must be considered together, and no individual judgment can be applied in isolation from the other two. This evaluation requires cooperation, consultation, collaboration, and mutual respect among those who are skilled in any of the three judgments, be they pastors, musicians, liturgists, or planners.

Here’s how they work that out…

The Liturgical Judgment

127. The question asked by this judgment may be stated as follows: Is this composition capable of meeting the structural and textual requirements set forth by the liturgical books for this particular rite?

128. Structural considerations depend on the demands of the rite itself to guide the choice of parts to be sung, taking into account the principle of progressive solemnity (see nos. 110ff. in this document). A certain balance among the various elements of the Liturgy should be sought, so that less important elements do not overshadow more important ones. Textual elements include the ability of a musical setting to support the liturgical text and to convey meaning faithful to the teaching of the Church.

The Pastoral Judgment

130. The pastoral judgment takes into consideration the actual community gathered to celebrate in a particular place at a particular time. Does a musical composition promote the sanctification of the members of the liturgical assembly by drawing them closer to the holy mysteries being celebrated? Does it strengthen their formation in faith by opening their hearts to the mystery being celebrated on this occasion or in this season? Is it capable of expressing the faith that God has planted in their hearts and summoned them to celebrate?

The Musical Judgment

134. The musical judgment asks whether this composition has the necessary aesthetic qualities that can bear the weight of the mysteries celebrated in the Liturgy. It asks the question: Is this composition technically, aesthetically, and expressively worthy?

135. This judgment requires musical competence. Only artistically sound music will be effective and endure over time. To admit to the Liturgy the cheap, the trite, or the musical cliché often found in secular popular songs is to cheapen the Liturgy, to expose it to ridicule, and to invite failure.

136. Sufficiency of artistic expression, however, is not the same as musical style, for “the Church has not adopted any particular style of art as her own. She has admitted styles from every period, in keeping with the natural characteristics and conditions of peoples and the needs of the various rites.” Thus, in recent times, the Church has consistently recognized and freely welcomed the use of various styles of music as an aid to liturgical worship.

Blessing the Animals

Note from CM: Last Sunday, I pulled into the parking lot at the church I was attending and noted that they were having an outdoor service. Getting out of my car, I saw folks walking their dogs and carrying other pets toward the chairs. “Ah,” I thought as I smiled, “they’re blessing the animals this morning!” I have heard of these services, but never attended one before. It was delightful, an affirmation of the goodness of God’s creation, our connection with this world and its creatures, and God’s amazing love for the works of his hands.

You can read about the background of these services here: “Blessing of Animals,” by Kevin E. Mackin, O.F.M. As Mackin says, this tradition has come about in honor of St. Francis of Assisi’s feast day (Oct. 4), and is conducted in remembrance of his love for all creatures. St. Francis’s great hymn “All Creatures of Our God and King” calls heaven and earth and all therein to worship our Maker.

I won’t say more about the observance, other than that it was a wonderfully refreshing affirmation of our Creator’s care. I asked the pastor, Rev. Mark Havel, for permission to reprint his sermon, and he graciously said yes.  So, here is his message, emphasizing God’s radical love for all his creatures.

* * *

Matthew 6:20-30

[Jesus said,] “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?  And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?  Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?”  For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

A little dog story, in honor of the occasion at hand…

Continue reading “Blessing the Animals”

iMonk Classic: Singing in the Evangelical Liturgy

Classic iMonk Post
by Michael Spencer
 From Sept. 2009

Note from CM: Back in 2009, Michael Spencer did a series on various elements in a traditional Protestant worship service, discussing how we might understand those elements and use them to revitalize traditional evangelical worship. Today’s post is from that series.

* * *

Singing. Oh yes….singing. I love to sing. I learned to sing before I was a Christian, first at school and then at church. I miss singing more than I can say. Our students don’t sing. Most of the adults I work with don’t sing much. I loved choirs and hymn-sings as a young Christian. It’s one of the worst things about the evangelical wilderness. Nothing is as wonderful to me as singing in church.

Congregational singing. One of evangelicalism’s great legacies, thanks to Isaac Watts, the Wesleys and some great music in the midst of the not-so-great flood of music out of revivalism, the Jesus movement, CCM, etc.

Not somebody or a group singing to the audience….uh…congregation, but congregational singing. Worship by singing. Proclamation by singing.

First, off, let’s be clear. Singing is mentioned in Paul’s instructions about worship in a descriptive way and in a prescriptive way, so it’s part of worship. Second, that doesn’t mean from that point on, we can do whatever we want because it’s mentioned in the Bible.

Music is dominating most evangelical worship these days and I, for one, am ready to have less of it in most instances. There’s a serious need for regulation and moderation of music in an atmosphere where many “churches” are becoming more like entertainment venues than any previous conception of worship.

I am tired of standing for long periods of time. I’m older and my back hurts. Many people are older, or have bad knees or other problems. This isn’t the Olympics.

I’m tired of singing vast numbers of new songs, some of which are too high and very, very hard to sing. (I know many old songs are hard to sing and you are tired of them as well. Amen. Point taken. We aren’t having that argument.)

I’m somewhat angry about having this avalanche of industrially produced music forced on me for a dozen insufficient reasons. The way the church’s canon of singable, theologically meaningful music has been detonated in the name of anything that creates what growth oriented churches demand is stunning. We’ve been brutal in this process and we’re going to be sorry in the long run.

I’m also amazed at the sudden conclusion that humans can’t be taught to sing, but must have a major sound system blasting sound at them so they can experience it.

When I was a young Christian in Western Kentucky, I thought the Church of Christ was nuts for promoting non-instrumental congregational singing. Well….I’ll get back to you on that one.

Continue reading “iMonk Classic: Singing in the Evangelical Liturgy”

My Favorite “Jesus Music” Group

Dana Angle, Bruce Herring, Alex MacDougall, John Wickham, Gary Arthur

Larry Norman, Love Song, Paul Clark, Lamb, Honeytree, John Fischer, Second Chapter of Acts, Phil Keaggy, Maranatha! — these and other names may or may not be familiar to you. They were some of the pioneers in “Jesus Music,” later called “CCM” (contemporary Christian music), that blossomed during the early 1970’s and prepared the way for the development of what became the CCM industry, the “worship wars,” the music that became prominent in the church growth and seeker churches, and the praise and worship movement. “CCM” of one kind or another is the default music in much of evangelicalism today, particularly the free church variety.

As Michael Spencer once observed, this music took the form of personal devotion, testimony, encouragement, and evangelism. It wasn’t about “praise and worship” then; Jesus music remained separate from the corporate worship service, and it wasn’t the huge consumer product that it became later. Jesus music was true “folk” music in the sense that it grew out of and represented a community of people who were singing about their experiences and passing the music on to others. It seemed fresh and real.

It was the music of my nascent life in evangelicalism. I can still remember when the first Maranatha! Praise Album came out and we gathered at a friend’s house to listen. Simple melodies, often based on or directly quoted from Scripture, were sung sweetly and effectively. It was childlike, attractive, and encouraging.

My favorite group in those days was one of the many that emerged from the Calvary Chapel scene in California. They were called, “The Way” (the link will take you to their “history” page where you can read their story).

The Way’s sound was like that of the band America and some of the “Laurel Canyon” singer-songwriters and groups. But they sang about Jesus. The little folk trio I was in with my youth pastor and a friend sang their songs when we did concerts.

Here’s one that we loved and sang many times:

 

Another Look at a Favorite Hymn

Ever since I was a child, one of my favorite hymns has been, “This Is My Father’s World“, by Rev. Maltbie D. Babcock. I’m sure what first caught my attention was its lovely melody, which is said to have been adapted from an English folk tune by Franklin L. Sheppard.

This hymn (or poem as it was at the time) was not published until after Babcock’s death in 1901. Shortly after he died, his wife put together a book of his poems and this one, “My Father’s World,” which originally had sixteen stanzas, was included.

Babcock was a pastor in upstate New York. The story is told that he loved to go hiking in an area known as “the escarpment,” where there was a breathtaking vista of farms and orchards, with Lake Ontario about fifteen miles in the distance. It is said that upon leaving for these walks, he would tell his wife, “I’m going out to see my Father’s world.”

One obvious message of this hymn is acknowledgment of the goodness and beauty of God’s creation. Ken Burns recognized this and used an instrumental version of the hymn as music for his recent documentary series on America’s national parks. Babcock’s experience of God “speaking to him everywhere” through his general revelation reflects the divine testimony in Psalm 19:

The heavens are telling the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours forth speech,
and night to night declares knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words;
their voice is not heard;
yet their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.

In our day, “This Is My Father’s World” reminds us of our responsibility, as God’s stewards, to care for the world that he has given us. It is not our world; it is our Father’s world. According to Genesis 1, he has entrusted its care and keeping to us. Human sin has affected not only our relationship to God, but also our life in and relationship to the natural world. It is obvious that we have abused creation many ways. Environmental responsibility is ultimately a Christian duty, because we believe in the One who created our home and entrusted it to us.

Continue reading “Another Look at a Favorite Hymn”

Church Music Month on Internet Monk

Ghent Altarpiece, van Eyck

October will be “Church Music Month” on Internet Monk.

Throughout the month we will feature posts about the ministry of music, with particular emphasis on its role in worship in the local congregation.

  • Articles that express various perspectives about church music.
  • Interviews with people who are working in congregations in the ministry of worship and music.
  • Pieces that explore congregational music in church history.
  • Reviews and recommendations regarding recordings and resources for church music.
  • Classic Michael Spencer articles about the state of Christian music.
  • Other posts to be developed based on your suggestions and our conversations.

Feel free to write me or drop Jeff a line (use the links at the upper right hand corner) with ideas of topics you’d like to see covered or any other suggestions.

To turn our thoughts toward music, let us start with our good friend Martin Luther, for whom music represented one of God’s greatest gifts:

We can only mention one point (which experience confirms), namely, that next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise.

…For whether you wish to comfort the sad, to terrify the happy, to encourage the despairing, to humble the proud, to calm the passionate, or to appease those full of hate — and who could number all these masters of the human heart, namely, the emotions, inclinations, and affections that impel men to evil or good? — what more effective means than music could you find?

– Preface to Georg Rhau’s Symphoniae iucundae

Psunday Psalms: Do We Pray Like This? Can We Pray Like This?

King David, Chagall

Psunday Psalms
Devotional Thoughts on the Psalms

* * *

The Lord judges the peoples;
vindicate me, O Lord,
for the righteousness and blamelessness that are mine.
Let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
but establish the righteous;
he who probes the mind and conscience is God the righteous.
I look to God to shield me;
the deliverer of the upright.
God vindicates the righteous…

– Psalm 7:9-12a, Tanakh (JPS)

* * *

We need to talk.

Here is one of those passages that should make us stop reading immediately and scratch our heads. If we were honest, we would say that a lot, for the Bible can be a baffling book, and it does us no good to pretend otherwise. Anyone who claims to resolve its conundrums in a cavalier manner should not be easily trusted.

Psalm 7 slaps us in the face with a concept of righteousness that is foreign to Christian (certainly Protestant Christian) sensibilities.

How often have we heard that God does not accept us or deal with us according to our own righteousness?

  • “But when God our savior’s kindness and love appeared, he saved us because of his mercy, not because of righteous things we had done.” (Titus 3:4-5, CEB)
  • “In Christ I have a righteousness that is not my own and that does not come from the Law but rather from the faithfulness of Christ.” (Phil. 3:9, CEB)
  • “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags.” (Isa. 64:6, NLT)
David and Goliath, Chagall

And yet, hear Psalm 7:9-12 again. In this prayer, we do not read about a righteous God who imputes his righteousness to the unrighteous, but rather we are introduced to a God who vindicates people on the basis of their righteousness.

On the one hand, the psalmist covers familiar and traditional territory — God is righteous, God is the Judge, God examines hearts and minds, God will execute righteous judgment on the wicked who reject him and rebel against him.

On the other hand, I squirm when I try to pray words like these: “Establish justice for me, Lord, according to my righteousness and according to my integrity.”

Where does anyone get off praying like that?

* * *

What do you think?

Do we pray like this? Can we pray like this? Should we pray like this?

Saturday Ramblings 9.29.12

Welcome to the state fair edition of Saturday Ramblings. Your rambler did his civic duty and attended the opening night of the Tulsa State Fair (I still haven’t figured that one out, as Tulsa has yet to become a state) on Thursday. I did not, however, indulge in any deep fried treats or eat anything on a stick. It was enough to just be breathing all that second-hand cholesterol. But I did bring some goodies for you, and will share them throughout our venture this morning. Now, if you are buckled in, our ride is about to begin. It’s a thrill-a-minute roller coaster ride we like to refer to as The Rambler.

First, the most important news item this week: There may be a shortage of bacon in the near future. Right, bacon. How could we have let this happen? Somehow I think the Republicans will find a way to blame this on President Obama. Me, I’m stocking up right now, just in case. Remember, bacon covers a multitude of sins. (2 Opinions 3:2) And I’m not too worried. This mama sow gave birth to all of this future bacon just a few hours before the fair opened on Thursday.

Seems the man responsible for the anti-Muslim film that has sparked violence across the globe may be headed back to the slammer for violating his parole. Here’s hoping he does not get a Muslim cellmate. Or even a film critic.

If you’re not going to a state fair this weekend, perhaps you will make time to wander over to the “America For Jesus 2012” rally in Philadelphia. Pat Robertson, David Barton, Steve Strang, Cindy Jacobs and a cast of thousands will be on hand to blame Obama and all Democrats for everything wrong in the world today, and tell us if we could just get back to our “Christian roots” (by buying these speakers’ materials and voting only for Republicans who, as we know, never sin) everything would be ok once more. I was just kidding when I said Republicans would blame the president for a bacon shortage, but with this gang, I’m not so sure they won’t do just that.

And if you don’t want to even leave your house this weekend, you can still learn how to do your part and vote the way God would vote. Ralph Reed (remember him? he’s back!) is sending out voting guides by the millions so that you won’t have to think for yourself as to how to vote.

Continue reading “Saturday Ramblings 9.29.12”