I forwarded a recent worshipmatters.com article by Bob Kauflin entitled “Preparing The Next Generations Of Musicians” to a few members of the Sojourn worship arts ministry. Chandi Plummer, who directs the music for Sojourn Kids, replied with such a thought-provoking email that I asked her permission to share it with each of you. And so now Chandi offers thoughts on excellence in children’s ministry, music education in the church, and the importance of doing all things in light of the gospel:
I am thankful that my earliest musical exposure was an outstanding music program in a church. Unfortunately, while the gospel was in the church’s liturgy, it was not in its life and preaching. The choirmaster and organist oversaw such a fantastic program (including both theory and sight-singing) that we were invited to sing at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC when I was only about ten years old.
After coming to Christ, I went to a church that had the gospel in its life and preaching, but certainly was not training the next generation of musicians. As a result I was turned off from the church’s involvement in musical training because I was at the other extreme of thinking we only need focus on the Bible, make some music to worship Him and reach the lost (definitely the right focus, but read on to see what was missing). As the Lord has worked in my life and heart to view all of life as sacred when redeemed by Jesus, I now see how important it is not to have our sacred and secular music in two separate spheres…. but to have EXCELLENCE in all things for Jesus, to do all for His glory.
How sad that our churches have become places which often have two extremes—either a church which is socially, culturally and musically concerned or a church which is concerned with the gospel but does not connect it to social, cultural and musical subjects. I think it tragic that in college, living for Jesus meant that I did NOT take a church job singing regularly on Sundays (because those churches were not “Bible-believing” BUT had to sacrifice that opportunity in order to go to a Bible-believing church that would NOT even allow me to sing on Sundays (though I could sight-read all the music) because I could not attend their weekly rehearsals. In hindsight, I do think I made the right choice for the sake of growing in the gospel, but I also think that I should NOT have had to choose. What a tragic dichotomy! I am not suggesting I should have been paid to sing in my “Bible-believing” church as I would have joyfully served freely. Yet, I think it was an unfriendly policy to require choir rehearsals for those of us who were students at a music conservatory and who were already driving a long distance to that church. And truthfully, our desire (because there were other students in the same situation as myself) was not to participate in the music because we liked it aesthetically. Frankly, we did not. We only wanted to use our gifts for the Lord. My point in sharing this is that it outlines well the two extremities: unbelieving musical churches or unmusical believing churches.
I’m encouraged by Bob Kauflin’s article, because I think it is crucial that the church recapture its historical role of being influential creative people who do all excellently for God’s fame. As a college music instructor, this concept has given a greater significance and passion to my gift on more levels than I have time to write. To name a brief few, I am passionate about helping others become better stewards of their gifts, excellent reflectors of God’s creativity, and capable and competent musicians who are able to lead and teach others. I was thinking about this very topic yesterday as I read part of the history of J.S. Bach to my children.
Hence, this is why I am passionate about making an excellent children’s CD for worship. Why should children have less than the “best” in worship music?
In closing I should clarify one point. By saying words like “excellence,” “the best,” and “musical,” I am not thinking of a particular musical style. I think that whatever musical genre a church uses as a means of worship, that style need only be done to the “best” of ones ability, seeking musical excellence for God’s glory. I am not in anyway suggesting that one style of music is superior to another (this comes from a professional musician who can enjoy good music from opera to indy rock to jazz to Bach to bluegrass. The music ideally should be in the musical language of the people of that church, a style to which they can relate. But, I could write more about a particular “style” which I think has no style at all and that is when “artists” cease to be “artists” and produce a canned, uncreative, and unmusical sound which I think relates more to an elevator than an instrument. But, that is another subject.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Saved by Amazing Grace,
Chandi
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