Lutheran Renegade
I grew up in the Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod), where worship is often methodical and always liturgical. In many Lutheran churches, a hymn is considered new if it is less than a hundred years old. Pipe organs are considered to be the best instruments to accompany worship because, as I once read in a Lutheran publication, the pipe organ is the instrument that most closely imitates the human voice. When a pipe organ is unavailable, an electronic organ is used, although somewhat reluctantly, because electronic organs are the instruments that most closely resemble pipe organs!
It took me a long time to realize that most forms of worship are at least partly cultural in origin. When I think about it, I realize that Lutheran worship, in some churches, has changed very little in the past five hundred years because some German Lutherans don't really like change. It has less to do with the Lutheran aspect than it has to do with that stubborn German way of doing things. (I'm entitled to express this opinion because my heritage is half German, and because I spent more than forty years as an active member of the Lutheran Church.)
I love to hear a majestic pipe organ, played with all the stops out. I have worshiped with several magnificent organists who knew their craft well and played flawlessly as they led whole congregations in praise of our Lord.
I also love to hear steel drums from the Caribbean; in fact, I've heard more than one Christian steel drum band that has made me sit up and take notice. Even old hymns take on a new flavor when they are played with that syncopated beat. But church music from the Caribbean would never be heard during traditional Lutheran worship; culturally, it's just too big of a stretch.
More than a hundred years ago, when so many people immigrated to America from all over the world, each ethnic group brought their own religious customs with them. For a while, they were most comfortable worshiping in their native languages, using the forms of worship that they knew best. Over the years, though, new immigrants became Americans. They and their children began to adopt American traditions; over time, old customs were reserved for holiday celebrations, and the old, familiar languages faded into the background as everyone became proficient in English.
In some Christian congregations, though, very little has changed. I am convinced that complacent attitudes threaten the survival of many denominations in our country, because contemporary Americans, especially the youth and young adults, are no longer comfortable worshiping as their ancestors did hundreds of years ago. When they are not offered a contemporary form of worship, many young Americans switch churches or stop attending church altogether.
I think about Martin Luther, who was a real renegade way back in the fifteen hundreds. It was never his intent to start a reformation, much less a church that would bear his name. However, he had the audacity to challenge some corrupt Roman Catholic officials and practices of that time, even though he risked his life and livelihood during the process. In his case, the Holy Spirit used Luther's innate German stubbornness as a catalyst to help him persist in his quest for necessary change.
Some of the changes were pretty radical. Worship services began to be conducted in the language of the people, so they could actually understand their pastors' words. Martin Luther, himself, translated the Bible into German; the invention of the printing press led to widespread availability of the written Word of God for the common people. Martin Luther also wrote some new German hymns, often setting his lyrics to the popular bar room tunes of the day.
If Martin Luther were living in America today, I suspect that he would be compelled to institute some changes in some of the very churches that still bear his name. I think he would start with the music. I don't think he would completely do away with organ music or meaningful, old hymns, because they still have great value for many people. Instead, I think he would compose and encourage the use of additional, more contemporary hymns of praise, often using popular instruments and music styles. I am sure he would make use of all available technology to spread the gospel, even encouraging the people to use Bible apps of their choice on their smart phones during worship services, so they could easily access God's Word in a language they could best understand. After all, he proved, long ago, that people are most content worshiping when they can understand the language and sing the currently popular styles of music. Whether some Lutherans like it or not, the fastest growing churches in our country are those that incorporate modern technology, and contemporary music and instruments, into their worship services.
But this blog isn't really meant to be a critique of current church music and worship practices. Instead, I want to emphasize that every Christian group must use every means available to lead others to know and love our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Perhaps it's time to rethink some old attitudes about music and forms of worship. Maybe it's time for more Christian denominations, and individual congregations, to align themselves more closely with the Biblical view of worship presented in Psalm 150:
"Praise God in his sanctuary...praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."
Or, as one of my favorite pastors amends quite frequently, "Let everything that has breath and plugs in praise the Lord!"
It took me a long time to realize that most forms of worship are at least partly cultural in origin. When I think about it, I realize that Lutheran worship, in some churches, has changed very little in the past five hundred years because some German Lutherans don't really like change. It has less to do with the Lutheran aspect than it has to do with that stubborn German way of doing things. (I'm entitled to express this opinion because my heritage is half German, and because I spent more than forty years as an active member of the Lutheran Church.)
I love to hear a majestic pipe organ, played with all the stops out. I have worshiped with several magnificent organists who knew their craft well and played flawlessly as they led whole congregations in praise of our Lord.
I also love to hear steel drums from the Caribbean; in fact, I've heard more than one Christian steel drum band that has made me sit up and take notice. Even old hymns take on a new flavor when they are played with that syncopated beat. But church music from the Caribbean would never be heard during traditional Lutheran worship; culturally, it's just too big of a stretch.
More than a hundred years ago, when so many people immigrated to America from all over the world, each ethnic group brought their own religious customs with them. For a while, they were most comfortable worshiping in their native languages, using the forms of worship that they knew best. Over the years, though, new immigrants became Americans. They and their children began to adopt American traditions; over time, old customs were reserved for holiday celebrations, and the old, familiar languages faded into the background as everyone became proficient in English.
In some Christian congregations, though, very little has changed. I am convinced that complacent attitudes threaten the survival of many denominations in our country, because contemporary Americans, especially the youth and young adults, are no longer comfortable worshiping as their ancestors did hundreds of years ago. When they are not offered a contemporary form of worship, many young Americans switch churches or stop attending church altogether.
I think about Martin Luther, who was a real renegade way back in the fifteen hundreds. It was never his intent to start a reformation, much less a church that would bear his name. However, he had the audacity to challenge some corrupt Roman Catholic officials and practices of that time, even though he risked his life and livelihood during the process. In his case, the Holy Spirit used Luther's innate German stubbornness as a catalyst to help him persist in his quest for necessary change.
Some of the changes were pretty radical. Worship services began to be conducted in the language of the people, so they could actually understand their pastors' words. Martin Luther, himself, translated the Bible into German; the invention of the printing press led to widespread availability of the written Word of God for the common people. Martin Luther also wrote some new German hymns, often setting his lyrics to the popular bar room tunes of the day.
If Martin Luther were living in America today, I suspect that he would be compelled to institute some changes in some of the very churches that still bear his name. I think he would start with the music. I don't think he would completely do away with organ music or meaningful, old hymns, because they still have great value for many people. Instead, I think he would compose and encourage the use of additional, more contemporary hymns of praise, often using popular instruments and music styles. I am sure he would make use of all available technology to spread the gospel, even encouraging the people to use Bible apps of their choice on their smart phones during worship services, so they could easily access God's Word in a language they could best understand. After all, he proved, long ago, that people are most content worshiping when they can understand the language and sing the currently popular styles of music. Whether some Lutherans like it or not, the fastest growing churches in our country are those that incorporate modern technology, and contemporary music and instruments, into their worship services.
But this blog isn't really meant to be a critique of current church music and worship practices. Instead, I want to emphasize that every Christian group must use every means available to lead others to know and love our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Perhaps it's time to rethink some old attitudes about music and forms of worship. Maybe it's time for more Christian denominations, and individual congregations, to align themselves more closely with the Biblical view of worship presented in Psalm 150:
"Praise God in his sanctuary...praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."
Or, as one of my favorite pastors amends quite frequently, "Let everything that has breath and plugs in praise the Lord!"
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