Confessions of a “Reformed” Pragmatist Part 1

Today I begin blogging for the first time. I sat for a time and starred at the screen trying to decide how to start. For one thing I’m not terribly familiar with blogs. I had never actually read one until a couple of days ago, so I’m still not sure exactly what I’m doing, or what people expect to read in these things. But I am a teacher of God’s Truth, and so I decided simply to do what I do and what I’ve always done. I will teach.

Now for a topic. What do I write? Well I’ve been told that I can write anything that I want. The problem is, I think I am going to be limited in how much I can say, and probably limited by how much the average reader is willing to consume. That is a problem because I would like to put some major articles and studies on here, things that I’ve already written. I may do that but if so I will have to break them up into bite-sized pieces. So I settled on something for my first few entries, something new, something I’ve had one my mind that might be helpful to you. It may still take several “installments”, but it’s something that I believe will be interesting. But more than that, believe it is relevant.

If I had to name one thing that has been on my mind more that any other over the past few years, it would be the state of the modern American evangelical Church. Having been a Christian now for 33 years and in the ministry for a great portion of that time, I have watched many changes occur. Some have been good. I remember a time when many churches would not allow certain people to attend. It may have been because of the color of their skin, the length of their hair, or the style of their clothing. The Civil Rights movement as well as the “Jesus Movement”, a counterculture of the hippy movement of the late 60’s and early 70’s, began to chip away at some of the prejudices that existed in the church.

Another change that began at the same time was “Jesus Music”, also a product of that same counterculture. When hippies were converted to Christ many, especially those who were musicians, would continue playing the same popular style of music, but would add Christian lyrics. This gave rise over the years to what became known as contemporary Christian music. Since that time contemporary music along with other changes that we will discuss later, have brought about an entirely new style of worship or way of “doing church”. And, that “way” is fluid. It is constantly changing. I can also remember when a church that included “choruses” in their worship service was the vast exception. A few years ago I began to notice that the church that does not, is now the exception. Today many, and I would say most have come to at least offer a separate “contemporary service” in addition to a traditional service, or they have abandoned the traditional altogether. Many churches now have a full-blown concert as a part of their weekly worship services with music that doesn’t even resemble the music of the last generation.

Now let me take a moment to explain a couple of things. First, as I sat down to write, this is not the direction I intended to take even though I did expect at some time to cover this material. Second, I want you to remember the title of this entry, “Confessions of a ‘Reformed’ Pragmatist.” I’ll explain that more later and as we continue I think you will come to understand it even without explanation. But for now let me just start by saying, I am in some ways a product of the Jesus movement and Jesus music. Not that I came to Christ through the witness of a “Jesus Freak”, (the title used of many of the young people of that era), though I later had some friends who came out of that, but when I did come to faith in Christ in January 1976, I immediately began listening to the music. I had been heavily involved in rock and roll and the bands of the early 70’s, and so it was a very natural transition for me. It was very refreshing to me because it filled a void in my life. (I realized very soon after becoming a Christian that I could no longer listen to secular rock and roll, but that’s for another time.) But even though I listened to that style of music “on my own time”, it was not something that I felt needed to be brought into the church. Through the years I followed several of the early Christian bands, and when I married and had children I introduced them to contemporary Christian music. And today I still enjoy a portion of the music in that genre.

I tell you this because I don’t want you to get the idea that I’m some old timer who has never listened to anything but Southern Gospel and thinks that other styles of music are somehow demonic. As a matter of fact if there is one style of music that I would say I dislike, it is Southern Gospel. Now I hope that doesn’t alienate people either. I know a lot of people love it, but it’s just not for me. Now I tell you these things for another reason, and that is hopefully to earn the right to talk about music as it relates to the state of the contemporary church.

In my next post we are going to turn directly to the scripture and talk about the purpose and origin of music. From where did music come, and why was it designed. The Bible has a great deal to say about music and its use, and I want to lead you there. It doesn’t really matter what I like or dislike about music period, or music in the church if I don’t know and apply what God has said and revealed in his Word. That is our seat of authority. That’s where we must start.

I’ll try to post at least weekly, but hopefully sometimes I’ll post more. I’m looking forward to his journey. I hope you are as well.