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Don’t you get frustrated with the system of unwritten rules that restrict the “proper” use of music in worship? Who wrote those rules, anyway? I can hear the Spirit of God laugh as we poor human build our cages out of fear and ignorance, and say, “Stay in there!” These are meant to be funny (Come on, they’re a little funny.) but also thought-provoking and even liberating.

1. The only hymns that should be sung in worship are the old ones, the ones “we” learned as children. (Note: Was the writer of Psalm 96 wrong? At one time ALL hymns, anthems, and other pieces of music were new.)

2. All church music should be quiet. (Note: Most lovers of traditional hymns would disagree with this. Would singing Joy To The World at a volume barely above a whisper have the same triumphant impact?)

3. The only appropriate church instruments are the pipe organ, the piano on occasion, and the Hammond drawbar – but only in dire circumstances. (Note: Our ancestors in faith used a wide variety of instrumentation to accompany their singing [see Psalm 92 and others]; Christians in most world cultures continue to do the same today. All right, the Martians haven’t caught on, but they’re the exception.)

4. All church music should be serious and classical in style. (Note: Psalm 95? Singing with “a joyful noise” sounds neither serious nor classical.)

5. All church music should be complex, performable by only highly trained musicians. (Note: Our ancestors in faith of African-American traditions composed a powerful body of spirituals that continue to stir and inspire the Christian soul; yet these songs are accessible to people with little musical expertise.)

By: James F. D. Martin

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