The Ohio Independent Baptist, September 1968

• Ul • USlC by Rev. Chas. Bergerson Editor' _ o te~ T hi article f irst appeared in CH LLE GE (R eg. Baptist P re s) We reprint it with the ir permi ion . ' The organi t played beautiful ar– ngements of hymn and gospel ngs for his prelude each evening. fter one of the services a young man ked him to include in his prelude a rtain piece of religious sheet mu ic. 1e organist an wered that he wa rry, but could not include this num– r becau e of some of the unscrip– ral idea of the song and the popular aracter of the music. Thi was e'ws' ' to the young man, who had ver before searched the ong to ~ \\ hether the words were true, as ;t 17: 11 suggests. Before reading further, under tand ! burden of this article: that we who e separati ts in doctrine and fellow– ip ought also to be eparatists in us1c. Read that over again and think through; then the rest of thi article n mean more to you! A Me an ingful Message Fir t. the music we listen to and ' e should have a meaningful mes- ~e. The message, or words of hristian J ic hould be scriptural, not elf– nlered. I aiah said: ". . . If they !a ( ing) not according to this ,rd. it i becau e there i no ligh t the1n. " ( I a. 8:20). ow, if we nest]}' apply thi biblical principle 1er1 Y.'e look at n1uch of our music Ja}', \.\'e mu t admit that many •rd are not according to the Bible. ngs of tc ti1nony are proper, but ~ te ti111on}' should ha\'e scriptural , or to it. l f you question certain 1g , }'Our pa tor or son1e other ma- fe]Jo" -belie,,er \\'Ould be happy gi, e }' OU v- 1 ord of \\'i do 111. et us >arate our elve fron1 n1u ic which d to J>I ce elf or experience , e that "hic}1 J)lca e · 1od. I 11 " rd ot hri tiar 111u ic uld be anct1f ing, 1 t er1tin1c11tal . rd 1 l1at , nc,, Jf) h Jd }' u capti,, 1J1e h,1! l1cal trutli '" J11cl1 tll~)' utter. d th " rd 1J1 ng ; u 11 r t l1 1 1 , t -. }1 t 11 r ~r 1 11 al . I i 11 t 1!1 h ul !1, a r to tr I tl1 11 fl1 I } I Ill U t1 ti fJg)ll IIJl l I 0 10 If D ng n cd the hearer toward godline and obed- • 1ence. Sentimentality is increasingly fester– ing the latter copyright being pub– lished in collections and sheet music The world makes free and often blas– phemous use of spiritual and bibli– cal gems. Let u be ure that the mu ic we allow does not even border on uch profanity. A Musical Merit econd, the mu ic we listen to and u e should h ave mu ical merit to it . A biblical position of separation hould how itself in musical epara– tion. Characteristics of modern mu ic are: the retarded beat, the constant downbeat "thump ,, the "swing" of dancing tempo , the constant u e of Jush harmonie with their excessive "sixe , even and nine , and the bitter-sweet dis onance which come from omewhere but go nowhere. ' 'Music dy trophy" i the popu– lar order of the day. It is indeed ad to hear recordings of "popularized" hymns and go pel ongs by o-and- o and his orche tra , o arranged and played that one could dance to them a to wing music. Ye , "The world ha too much with u ," a hake- peare aid, so that we do not or will not di cern how to behave our elve mu ically. Even the way some com.. po er write their o called go pel mu ic ugge t the " wing" treatment. A Jeremiah aid, ''. . . My people love to have 1t o ..." (Jer. 5·31). Indeed, we ought to be a · eparat1 t in our mu ic a~ we are in our doctrine and our fellowship, don' t }' OU think '> Doe the n1u -- 1c ) 'Ot1 allow glorify 1od. strengthen )'Our biblical faith, challenge )'Our obc(iicr1cc to tl1e Hol ' .. pirit, and c hort others tl> the an1 ··! '"J he organist ~·a right . He ft1rthc.:r aid: "1 ,,ill 110 1 tt ' e c,cn tl1 l)e t rc– ligi ti :st)tlgs 111en ·,r1 \; ,1111, if the do not prt fJcrl)' ho11t r 1 d and l i \\1 rd." . J1ere i 111 nt , kind liri ti, 11 re: rdir1g • , nd n1 tl i t ti In , 111 1 \\ d n t 11 , , 111 J r ,, 1 t 11 1 1 k 1 11 d s, qu t I n HI I an \\ IdI . H] ( f }) \\ J d 11 f 1 t \\ l I ] I} ) ti r1 Iii) 111 dll \ 1 d 111 ; 1 111ng a nd ' ' And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.'' (Psalm 40:3) admoni hing one another in p alm and hymns and spiritual ong , ing– ing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." If your record rack. or pile of heet mu ic, can pa the e five te t , your love of mu ic i probably making you a better Chri tian: 1. Is it harmoniou ? God i a God of order. The modern concept of dis onance is a refu al to accept the normaJ, orderly, y tematic arrange– ment God ha placed in human life. It i an attempt at doing away with all re traint - a sort of athei m in mu ic. " Thi i what a mu ic teacher in a Chri tian college aid about mod- . ern mu 1c. 2. Do the word glorify God? Thi doe n' t mean a ong mu t be abou t God, but if it a love ong, i the love pure? Or i it a ugge ti, c ditt) about neaking around, di orce. adul– tery? I God ridiculed in the \\ rd ? I the church or hri tianity mocked? 3. Are the perf rn1er clean-]1\ 1 1ng people whon1 you adn1ire and \\'ant to upport ? very rec rd , ou bt1~, 1, helping on1eone get rich. 4. Doe the n1usic n1t le , ou a _, better pe1 "L)n? D<., ) 'Ott think. higher thought · hcc,1t1,t.: f it'. Doe\ )t"'ttr heart reach ot1t 1n aJor,ttion to " d ~1ft r ) ott'\ c lt'ilencli t(\ the rcLurd go ' rounu ,ind ·1<.)t1nd? Or doe it bc:at gi\e )Olt the ··\,,iggJe," a11d r11~1k \ 'Ot1r t~c t 1tch t t) bc.:t()Olc p 11 t of the ., fast-n1 \tng gtl1Ltp t)l le n,gt:r 11 tl1\; "gl> · - t > a11 ~t-:rn, l Hell '. . \\' >ltlll ' l)tl t,e a h~ 111c I t I ) ·1 this re ()rll in th prt n f J ll l1ri t? J ' tt ' r trt1I, b r 11 ag 1n, t I ' s Ii, i11g ,, itl1 in l l lln 11 r 1t ,, t1eth r Lt r n I ti f 1t r n t . t1 l 111 i t pt1 t 1 n \\ s 11g jl f ll l JJlt llf it r d car dni I rd " I 40 . ,l , •• 11d 11 th 111 111 111 lllh e\ n d 111n h II t1all t1t1 t 11 tl1 ) . 1