Torch, Summer 1981

A Note About Music And Cedarville College by Dr. Paul Dixon, President ll of us love music . It entertains, it relaxes, it encourages, it comforts, it motivates. Our tastes and preferences may differ, but few days pass when we are not enjoying the experience of listening to the radio , to the television, or to some musical performance in person . Music is important to God. According to Job , His morning stars sang together as they beheld His creation . God's people have always had a song in their hearts . When they were delivered from Egypt's bondage, Moses and the Israelites lifted their voices together singing, "I will sing unto the Lord for He hath triumphed gloriously .. ." (Exodus 15:lb). The Bible reveals the saints singing from Genesis to Revelation. Moses sang, Deborah and Barak sang, David sang, the children of Israel sang, the disciples sang, and in heaven we shall all sing the "songs of the Lamb ." Today we are to "come before His presence with singing" (Psalm 100:2b). In being filled with the Spirit, we speak to ourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in our hearts to the Lord (Ephesians 5: 19). This issue of the TORCH is devoted to this great subject of music. The three main articles are written by members of the faculty of Cedarville College. I rejoice in the capable people God sends to us. These writers are typical of the commitment to be found in all of them. In your reading you will sense their dedication, their knowledge of Scripture, their heart for the family, and their burden for the unsaved. I would add that they share with me a serious concern: that we would instill in our college young people an appreciation for the truly great music . To this end, our artist series brings to campus some of the outstanding classical musicians of our day. We also would encourage and help them to derive convictions in opposition to the rock music that so dishonors our Lord. With the concern over the sex and violence on television, we should be just as irate over the risque lyrics of songs that present a perverted view of sex and love. One cannot be filling the mind from the rising in the morning to bedtime with the pollution of drugs and sex and remain unaffected. Our heart's desire for the young people entrusted to us is that they graduate with high music standards. Most do not come to campus with such convictions. It is a struggle to achieve our own objectives and at times challenging to be consistent ourselves. We certainly are not successful with all the students. Praise the Lord that many young men and women leave us singing a new song unto the Lord.