The Power of Music in Worship

“Bach gave us God’s word,
Beethoven gave us God’s fire, Mozart gave us God’s laughter,
God gave us music so that we may pray without words.” – anonymous (written on the wall of a German Opera house)

Music is uniquely connected us. Sociologists have told us that there has not been a people group that has ever existed without some form of music and more importantly music connected with spiritual activity. Music possesses a power that is able to connect the listener to “something else.” Music can capture a moment in time for you to relive even outside of the event that may be captured within the song itself. When you hear a certain song come on the radio you can instantly be transported back to your high school prom, or a peace rally from the 70′s, a concert you attended with friends where you first heard that song, or the moment you decided to dedicate your life to the gospel of Christ. Along that same line, music has the ability to embody a whole era or ethos, it captures the spirit of the moment.

Music also has the power to unify a group of people, their ideas and ideals, emotions and more. That is why it is such a powerful part of Christian worship. We are corporately unified in idea, spirit and emotion. It is why Wesley saw his hymns as sung theology and Augustine wrote, “I feel when the sacred words are chanted well, our souls are moved and are more religiously and with a warmer devotion kindled to piety than if they are not so sung.”

We must remember this when discussing music style for our services. Saying something against a particular style of worship music (traditional or contemporary) inherently says something about the people who connect or connected to God through said style. It’s our soul music, the music that takes us back to the moment we first accepted Christ. While some generations have Chris Tomlin’s 4 on the floor bass drum and meaty guitars that connected them to God others are taken back to the small country church singing hymns. Because people are fearfully, uniquely and wonderfully made, each of us have a particular style of music that best connects us to God. We can’t, however, relegate any other style of music as less effective or less important – modern or traditional. This is the reason for the “worship wars.” People want to be able to connect with the music that cries our from their soul – their soul music. That is why different churches sing different types of songs or even have separate worship services for particular worship styles. When you say something against a style of worship music, you are saying something against a generation that connects to God through it.

Related posts:

1. The Myth of a Successful Blended Worship Service
2. Who Dictates Your Worship Music Style?
3. Non-Lyric Lyrics in Worship. La De Da De De: Scatting for Jesus
4. Christian Music or Christians Making Music: Into the Fray
5. Grace Church Set List 3.20.11