making a joyful noise

"Sing Psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in yuor hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:19-20. Marva Dawn once commented about music in worship, interpreting Ephesians 5:18 and 19 in light of life in the post-Pentecost Christian community. She said that Paul's allusion to the spiritual singing of Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs was an indication of the kind of musical life they ought to have. Had they been arguing about what songs or music was befitting worship? Had they been arguing about the use of language in music, the use of scripture in music? Had they been gathering in reverent silence and thereby cooling the joyous spirit that had warmed their hearts? Had they reduced their musical expression to a few familiar hymns, which became the exclusive expression of the Ephesus congregation? Familiarity breeds contempt, because it naturally excludes anyone who is unfamiliar.
Marva Dawn says that Psalms were the old chestnuts, the old songs that everyone knew. Ancient texts, ancient carols, Chants. Hymns were those songs found in the New testament, like the Magnificat and the Kenosis hymn from Philippians 2. And spiritual songs were indigenous to the contemporary gathered community. Marva suggested that Paul suggested music in worship that was both ancient and familiar and traditional; and also new and ocntemporary. Of course the primary goal was to tell the story of salvation through music. The bible was their songbook, but so was their experience in life. Someone might have a song to share on their hearts that glorifies the Lord. And that kind of spontaneous expression ought to be welcomed in the context of the Word being proclaimed.
The implications of this for the gathered community today are many: Worship music ought to be rooted in Scripture, tell the story of salvation, talk about GOD and talk to GOD, and it ought to reveal the joyful hearts of those present. Worship is about the heart open to God's heart, the mind open to the mind of Christ, the spirit inspired by the Holy Spirit.
I so often leave traditional Lutheran liturgy wondering where the awe, the mystery, the love, and the joy are. And although much of the liturgy is biblical in its language, the musical medium by which this language is carried does not connect. So often, classical and organ-based music seems so out of touch with the world in which we live that I scarcely can listen. Its not fun anymore. Fun ought not to characterize every worship experience, but as fun is connected to joy, shouldn't orship sometimes be fun? Fun is a strange word here. I mean the kind of fun that can be had together in the company of others; like a wedding party with dancing and merriment.
I love music. I am somewhat of a musician. And I love many genres of music; from reggae to rock, jazz to folk. I even appreciate some rap and some country music. But church music is not connecting me to GOD the way it can and should. Does it convey the gospel? If its singable. And when is it singable? When its melody and rhythm grab us. When it is beautiful, lovely, poignant, real.
At the ELCA Youth gathering in New Orleans we gathered in the Superdome for worship and inspiration every evening and Sunday morning. The house band was led by Peter Mayer, the lead guitarist for Jimmy Buffett. I enjoyed their music. And the crowd sang together. But I was even more struck by something else that happened musically. At the end of each night's gathering, as we exited, a song was cued up and played in the dome. It is the song, "i'm yours" by Jason Mraz, a simple four chord tune with a reggae beat. Lyrics about love and belonging to one another. "Open up your mind and see like me, open up your plans and then your free, look into your heart and you'll find love, love, love. Listen to the moment come and sing with me, we're just one big family, and its our God forsaken right to be loved, loved, loved, loved loved." Everyone sang this song as we exited the superdome. People gathered in small circles to sing it. Its a popular song, has been for a year or so, I bet. And it moved them. It seemed to connect and set a mood of love, joy, friendship, kindness. I was as moved by the response to this pop song as I was to any music we heard in worship that week.
Music in worship can convey adoration for God and for creation. It can inspire us to mission and call us to discipleship. It can help us to cry out in the face of injustice, poverty, and sin. It can unite and build community. And worship music can be sacred and secular; is there really a division in God's world? All of it is God's isn't it? Even the crap. What if worship and the music of our souls was all about GOD and not about me or us? What if it really was about the message, remembering that the medium, the art, the lyric must contextualize that good news for listeners/musicians/singers.
"We do not think about worship so much in terms of what we do. Worship is fundamentally about what God is doing and our response to God's action. Worship is an encounter with God, who saves us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus." This thinking is contrary to consumerist worship, where the important question is, "What did I get out of it?" Worship does indeed feed the soul because God feeds us there. But GOD is the one being worshipped. Not me. Not the band or the singer or the organ or the hymnal or the pew or the ritual act. We worship GOD. So, as emerging Christian people seek to worship the trinity, may we be centered on God's Word and the Eucharist as the point of contact with Jesus' forgivng love. And may we sing our guts out.