Worship Workshop #2

JOYFUL NOISE: Music & Worship

By Ps. Gabriel Chia

EBC YAM Workshop Series

1. 6 Oct – Living Sacrifice: The Essence of Worship in our Daily Lives

2. 13 Oct – Joyful Noise: Music & Worship

3. 3 Nov – Let Hope Rise: A Case Study of Hillsong (Movie Screening + Discussions)

4. 10 Nov – Audience of One: Worshippers & Worship Leaders

Summary of Workshop #1

1. The Essence of Worship: Our Desire for God

2. The Place of Worship: our Bodies

3. The Practice of Worship: Ethical & Liturgical Living

Key Question:

What is the Role of Music in worship?

Are we underutilising the role of music in our

worship today?

Outline

Part 1: Foundations of Music & Worship 1. Music and Worship in the Bible 2. How Music Works – Music and Emotions (Zhi Quan)

1. The Role of Music in Worship

Refreshment Break Part 2: Appreciating Worship Music (Examples) 4. The Hymn vs The Contemporary Worship Song 5. Worship Music in Culture (Sharing by Neil Chan)

1.Music and Worship in the Bible

Does Music belong to the Devil?

The Anointed Cherub: A Musical Instrument?

“You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the turquoise, the emerald; and the gold, the workmanship of your settings (tof, KJV: timbrel, tamborine) and sockets (neqev, KJV: (hollow) pipes) was in you.

On that day you were created, they were prepared. You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.” - Ezekiel 28:13-14 (NASB)

But the Ultimate Source of Music is God, not the devil.

• “Drums is of the devil…”

• “Electric music is of the devil…just look at that sharp high-pitch shriek from the electric guitar”

Our Musical God

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save, He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you by His love He will exult over you with loud singing/ joyful noise (rinnah). -Zephaniah 3:17 (ESV) …He will take great delight in you, In his love he will no longer rebuke you. But will rejoice over you with singing. (NIV)

People who know the Joyful Noise

How blessed are the people who know the joyful noise (teruah)!

O LORD, they walk in the light of Your countenance.

- Psalm 89:15 (NASB)

Teruah: A Joyful Noise

“Then, David spoke to the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their relatives the singers, with instruments of music, harps, lyres, loud-sounding cymbals, to raise sounds of joy…( v.16)

Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouts of joy/ a joyful noise (teruah), and with sound of the horn, with trumpets, loud-sounding cymbals, harps and lyres.” -1 Chronicles. 15:16 28 (NASB)

“Sing to the Lord”

172 times

• Sing to Him a new song (Ps. 33:3)

• Sing praises to God (Ps. 47:6)

• Sing for joy to God our strength (Ps. 81:1)

• In the midst of the congregation, I will sing your praise (Heb 2:12)

• …speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord (Eph 5:19, NIV)

… with instruments

“Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre (kinnor). Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings (nevel).” (Ps. 33:2)

“Play skillfully with a shout of joy” (Ps. 33:3b)

Kinnor Ten-Stringed Nevel Guitar

… yes, with loud-instruments

Praise Him with trumpet sound (shofar)

Praise Him with harp (nevel) and lyre (kinnor)

Praise Him with timbrel (tof) and dancing

Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipes

Praise Him with loud cymbals (tseltselim)

Praise Him with resounding cymbals (teruah tseltselim)

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord -Psalm 150:2-6

Tof Shofar

Tseltselim

“Loud is the Flavor of the Bible”: People who make a joyful noise

Section Summary

1. Music Belongs to God.

The Domain of Music needs to be redeemed, reclaimed and restored back to its rightful place.

2. We are called to make music unto God

– A Joyful Noise!

“And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand.

So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from Him.”

-1 Sam 16:23

Music has an affect on our lives

2.How Music Works: Music and the Emotions

(with a Classical Slant)

Chords

The essential building blocks behind most pieces.

Major – happy, bright, satisfaction

Minor – sad, melancholy, apprehension, anger

Diminished – despair, unsettling, suspense

Augmented – astonishment, surprise, uneasy

Suspensions – feeling of unfulfillment, desire for resolution

Cadences

Used at the end of a musical phrase (like a sentence)

Perfect Cadence (V – I) – a full stop, feels complete

Imperfect Cadence (I/II/IV – V) – a comma, feels incomplete

Plagal Cadence (IV – I) – sounds very much like an “Amen”

Interrupted Cadence (V – VI) – deceptive and adds tension, delays the ending

Illustration – Tis’ So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

Imperfect Cadence

Perfect Cadence

Imperfect Cadence

Perfect Cadence

Other notable musical devices

2. Diabolus in Musica or Tritone (“devil in music”)

3. Whole Tone Scale (dreamy, other worldly)

5. Pentatonic scale (“Chinese-sounding”) 4. Blues scale (“Jazzy”)

1. Dies irae (“day of wrath”)

Classical Music and Worship

Many Classical composers wrote sacred music that inspired hymns and even used hymn tunes as inspiration for their music!

Holst, The Planets Op. 32, “Jupiter”

Tune also used for “O God Beyond All Praising”

Beethoven, Symphony No. 9, “Ode to Joy”

Tune also used for “Joyful Joyful, We Adore Thee”

Mendelssohn, Symphony No. 5, “Reformation Symphony”

Composed as a tribute to the Reformation, tune adapted from the hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” by Martin Luther in final Movement.

MELDING Classical Music and

Worship

Linda McKechnie How Great Thou Art / Beethoven’s 5th Symphony

Tis’ So Sweet To Trust In Jesus / Clair De Lune

And many more… https://www.lindamckechnie.com/

The Piano Guys

Ode to Joy / Joy to the World

The Mission / How Great Thou Art

Fight Song / Amazing Grace

And many more… https://thepianoguys.com/pages/videos

• Music evokes imagery which in turn triggers emotional response.

• Music is highly subjective -> evokes different emotions to different people.

• Emotions and moods may change throughout a piece of music.

• People may feel differently about a piece of music at different points of time.

• We tend to look for music that resonates and corresponds to our emotional

state.

• Many types of devices that are used to vary the mood of music! Eg. Tone,

Speed, Dynamics, Articulation, Instrumentation, Modulations etc.

Group activity

Listen to these pieces and describe the emotions/ imagery evoked:

1. Chopin - Scherzo No. 3, Op. 39

2. Tchaikovsky - Serenade For Strings, Op.48

3. Thomas Bergersen - In Paradisum

4. John Dreamer - Rise

In Paradisum

by Thomas Bergersen

RISE

by John Dreamer

3. The Role of Music in Worship

The Power of Liturgies • A liturgy is a religious ordering of time or a religious

practice for worship and devotion. • Liturgies are powerful. They shape and form us (and our

hearts) whether we are aware or not. • E.g Using Worship Music as a Liturgical Practice.

Music, our Hearts & our Desires

With its ability to affect our emotions,

Music is a powerful medium for the shaping of our hearts and our desires for the Lord.

God

Music

The Role of Music in Worship

1. Music carries the truth message

1. Music helps us feel the truth message

2. Music helps us express the truth message

3. Music builds unity around the truth message

“How Great is Our God” by Chris Tomlin

1. Music carries the truth message (Ps. 96)

Lyrics Bible Reference

The Splendor of the King, clothed in Majesty

Ps. 96:6– Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

Let all the earth rejoice x2 Ps. 96:11 – Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice

He wraps Himself in light And darkness tries to hide

Ps 104:2 – The LORD wraps Himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent

And trembles at His voice x2 Ps 96:8 – Tremble before Him, all the earth

“How Great is Our God” by Chris Tomlin

2. Music helps us feel the truth message Imagine reading rather than singing the chorus:

“How Great is our God, sing with me

How Great is our God, All will see how Great, How great is our God”

We do the glorious truths of God more justice

with words, music and our emotions than simply with words.

“How Great is Our God” by Chris Tomlin

3. Music helps us express the truth message (through prayer, petition or praise)

Praise:

“Name above all names You are worthy of all praise

My heart will sing How Great is our God”

“How Great is Our God” by Chris Tomlin

4. Music builds unity around the truth message

“How Great is our God,

sing with me

How Great is our God,

All will see how Great,

How great is our God”

Section Summary

1. Music carries the truth message

1. Music helps us feel the truth message

2. Music helps us express the truth message

3. Music builds unity around the truth message

4.Appreciating Worship Music:

The Hymn vs

The Contemporary Worship Song

Worship Wars: Traditional vs Contemporary Worship

Common Criticisms of Contemporary Worship: 1. Allows modern secular culture to creep into

church

2. Emotionalism: Focused on feelings and emotions

3. Humanism: Man-centered rather than God-centered

4. Anti-intellectualism: Watered-down theology

5. Commercialisation & Consumerism of Worship Music (Next Week)

Worship Wars: Traditional vs Contemporary Worship

In defense of CCM: 1. 17-19th century Western culture, in which hymns were written,

was equally secular.

2. Worship should involve our emotions, instead of a disconnect of heart and mind (i.e dead and dull singing)

3. Worship involves our expression i.e “I love you Lord.”

4. Theology can be expressed in simple words and understandable language (i.e But purer and higher and great will be, our wonder, our transport (?), when Jesus we see)

“How Great Thou Art” in Singapore?

When through the woods of forest glades I wander

And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees

When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur

And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze

Then Sings my Soul…

When through the park connectors, and beside the longkangs I wander

And hear the insects sing sweetly in the trees When I look from my HDB apartment grandeur

And see high-rise buildings, and don’t feel a lot of breeze

But Sings my Soul…

On Hymns

• A hymn (humnos) is simply a sacred song or a song of praise to God (Eph. 5:19).

• All hymns were once contemporary worship songs.

2 Versions of “I Surrender”

1. “I Surrender All”

by Judson W. Van DeVenter, 1896

2. “I Surrender”

By Matt Crocker, 2011

Reflection & Group Discussion

For each song, compare: 1. How does the music carry the truth message? 1. How does the music help you feel the truth message

?

2. How does the music express the truth message?

3. How does the music build unity around the truth message?

Our Posture

4.Appreciating Worship Music:

Worship Music in Culture

The Myth of “Normal Worship”

“We use the word normal to describe not only what is but what should be natural for everyone. We are comforted by

normal. We assimilate to normal…We are normal, but everyone else not like us is other.

We do not realize that the way we do things is locked in a set

of values and beliefs deeply influenced by cultural factors (denominational, generational, ethnic, racial,

socioeconomic).”

- Sandra Maria van Opstal, The Next Worship: Glorifying God in a Diverse World, 2015

Diversity in Worship

• Worship music is cultural and contextual

• God calls all peoples of different cultures (and sub-cultures) to worship Him.

Inclusive Worship for All Peoples

A. God calls all people to Himself (Col. 1:19-22)

A. God calls His people to one another (Ephesians 2:14-16, Acts 10:34-35)

When we Appreciate Worship Music from other Cultures…

By van Opstal:

1. Hospitality: “We welcome you.” Include the underrepresented.

2. Solidarity: “We stand with you.” Affirmation of unity.

3. Mutuality: “We need you.” Dependence on another.

Example 1:

Sharing by Neil Chan

Psalm 62

Example 2:

The Jesus Movement

& Rock N Roll

Jesus Movement & Jesus Music (1960s-70s)

• 1960s to 70s movement beginning in N. America, and later Europe & C. America

• Large numbers of hippies and street musicians began converting to born-Christianity – Revival!

• Musicians continued playing same style of music prior to conversion

• A New expression of worship music emerged!

Malcolm and Alwyn

• Leading British rock band in the 1970s

• Malcolm & Alwyn walked away from a lucrative deal because the producer told them to take the “Jesus” out of their music.

• Alwyn Wall is now Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel in Westminster, London.

Alwyn Wall leading worship with his son, Jano Wall

Example 3:

Black Culture

& Christian Rap

Lecrae’s Testimony

“Beautiful Feet” by Lecrae ft. Dawntoya

1. What is the main message?

1. How does medium of rap convey the message?

But who would minister

in a sinister part of town

I pray if Jesus is calling you

You would be found

God is in the business of

Redeeming, Reclaiming and Restoring

all Cultures and their Music!

Concluding Summary 1. Music Belongs to God. The Domain of Music needs to be redeemed,

reclaimed and restored back to its rightful place.

2. We are called to make music unto God: A Joyful Noise!

3. Music is a powerful medium for the shaping of our hearts and our desires for the Lord.

4. Music carries the truth message, helps us feel the truth message, helps us express the truth message, and builds unity around the truth message.

5. Worship music is cultural and contextual. God is in the business of calling all peoples to Himself, and in the process He is redeeming, reclaiming and restoring all cultures and their music.