Evangelical

Music in Twentieth-Century Worship

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The trend toward a return to primal traditions in theology and worship practice was intensified in the mid-twentieth century, partly due to the influence of the “New Reformation.” Along with a return to biblical authority, we have seen a revival of Reformation worship forms and practice, including even neo-baroque organ design. The total result is a blend that includes three traditions: the apostolic heritage, historic medieval contributions, and Reformation distinctives.

The Liturgical Movement

The liturgical movement includes a renewed interest in liturgical symbolism, especially in vestments, church design, and furnishings. The liturgical movement has had considerable influence on Calvinist and free churches, some of whom have been guided by the same objectives mentioned above: to unite their own distinctives with the traditions of the apostles and the medieval church. To illustrate, the Worshipbook (1974) of the United Presbyterian Church contains a Communion service which can be said to combine the early form of John Calvin with elements of eucharistic worship from earlier centuries. The text of the service is an amplification of Calvin’s Geneva service of 1542. In the music section of the book, the historic songs of the mass (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei) are included so that they might be added to that service.

Though some evangelicals may doubt that they have been influenced by the liturgical movement, these trends will be noted in many groups:

1. Increased interest in more sophisticated church architecture and furnishings, whether or not it includes the consideration of theological principles in symbolism.
2. Development of more complete worship forms, with more congregational participation.
3. More frequent observance of the Communion. Many evangelicals do so once each month, rather than quarterly—the historic norm.
4. Increased observance of the liturgical year, especially as related to Advent and Holy Week.

The Evangelical Influence of Vatican II

Eugene L. Brand describes the liturgical movement as “the label given to efforts across the breadth of the Western church to restore full and vital corporate worship that centers in a eucharistic celebration where Sermon and Supper coexist in complementary fashion” (“The Liturgical Life of the Church,” in A Handbook of Church Music, ed. by Carl Halter and Carl Schalk, 53). As such, much of its impetus came from encyclicals of Pius X and Pius XII and from other church leaders both in Europe and America. The Second Vatican Council of 1962 marked the climax of the movement for Roman Catholics with the release of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. All observers agree that its reforms have been “evangelical” in nature. These are some of the most significant:

1. Worship is to be social and rational, not personal and mystical.
2. A return to vernacular languages.
3. Full congregational participation, including the use of “Protestant” hymns.
4. Inclusion of several Scripture readings from both Old and New Testaments.
5. Inclusion of a sermon on a regular basis.
6. “Concelebration” of the mass—the people with the priest.
7. A retreat from extremely sacerdotal theology. (The revised Sacramentary includes four versions of the eucharistic prayer; only one closely resembles the old Roman Canon.)

There is now more similarity between the services of Lutherans and Episcopalians (even of liturgical Presbyterians) and those of Roman Catholics than there has been at any time since the Reformation. As a result of their new freedom, many Roman Catholics now participate in the worship services of evangelicals. Some regularly attend small Bible study groups, and even extra liturgical, charismatic worship services.

The New Pietism

What we identify as “celebration” today may be partly a reaction to the liturgical movement of yesterday. Laypersons who are expected to take a larger part in worship may well insist that it should consist of activities that they enjoy. For this reason, we may call the contemporary style “the new pietism” (the emphasis is on religious experience), or even “the new worship hedonism” (the emphasis is on enjoyable experience).

There are other contributing influences which should be noted:

1. Existentialist philosophy—emphasis on the “now” experience which may sometimes be suprarational.
2. McLuhanism—“the medium is the message.” McLuhan foresaw the weakening of words as communicative symbols and noted increased interest in audio-visual media.
3. Secular theology—a decline in the significance of traditionally sacral expressions in the awareness that the church is sent forth “into the world.”
4. Roman Catholic reforms—Vatican II encouraged its communicants to be rational, social, and joyful in worship.
5. Relational theology—the importance of our relationships with other persons, both in and out of the church.
6. The philosophy of “linguistics”—a consideration of the meaning of words.
7. A reappearance of the aesthetic concept of music as “revelation” (see Mellers, Caliban Reborn).
8. The growth of Pentecostalism.

The resultant expressions in contemporary worship can also be listed:

1. Emphasis on celebration—a total experience in which there is an appeal to all the senses by means of new worship forms and expressions, more emotional music, multimedia, drama, new symbolism, physical movement, etc.
2. Updated translations of Scripture; fresh, more personal language in liturgy, hymns, prayers, and sermon.
3. Congregational participation not spectatorism.
4. Renewed emphasis on Christian fellowship in worship (in the tradition of the “kiss of peace”) and in daily life.
5. Cross-fertilization of the sacred by the contemporary, in text as well as music.

“The new pietism” appeared first among the liturgical churches and more liberal communions, and its total impact may have been more revolutionary among them. After all, the movement simply validated the ancient heritage—of joy in worship and in fellowship with other persons. Furthermore, it was moving counter to the interest of some evangelicals who were seeking to develop a greater sense of reverence in public worship.

One of the first expressions of the new music in contemporary worship was Geoffrey Beaumont’s Twentieth Century Folk Mass, which appeared in 1957. As a member of the Light Music Group of the Church of England, he stated their philosophy succinctly and boldly: Worship should include not only the timeless music of master composers but also the popular styles of the day, which are so much a part of people’s lives. Soon thereafter, youth musical ensembles were appearing among evangelicals in Great Britain, patterning their styles after those of the Beatles and other folk and rock groups. Their objectives were to communicate the gospel and to express Christian response in word/music languages that were comprehensible to young people, both inside and out of the organized church. Before long, liturgical churches and traditional denominational bodies in America were following these examples in an endeavor to make worship services more relevant and celebrative.

Among typical American evangelicals, popular expressions in witness music had not changed dramatically since the advent of the gospel song about 1850. To be sure, there had been modest variations in style in the mid-twentieth century—including “Southern quartet” forms, “western” hymns, a few songs in a mild Broadway-musical style, and the beginning of a country ballad hymnody. But, by and large, evangelicalism had not shown great interest in new music since the days of Billy Sunday and Homer Rodeheaver.

There was, however, considerable awareness of the need for fresh expressions in the church, and considerable (but not universal) support for new translations of the Bible and new phraseology in prayer. Evangelicals used the available new Scripture versions and even sponsored some of their own. The musical breakthrough came with a few gospel folk songs by Ralph Carmichael that appeared in Billy Graham films and with the youth musical Good News, released by the Southern Baptists in 1967. The latter was soon followed by a flood of similar works, written for various age groups, using contemporary popular music forms and frequently performed with the recorded accompaniment of a full professional orchestra.

Soon shorter musical works began to be published in the same idioms. Older titles (and even new works in older forms, like Bill Gaither’s gospel songs) continued to appear, but in upbeat arrangements—with strong syncopated rhythms, a goose-bump-raising orchestration, and a series of “half-step-up” modulations—which added up to strongly-emotional expression.

In the last ten years, we have also seen an unparalleled rise in the number of professional performances of popular religious music by traveling artists. A large number of youth groups are on the road, like Re-Generation (with Derek Johnson) or the Continentals (sponsored by Cam Floria). Older professional singers (e.g., Hale and Wilder, the Bill Gaither Trio, Andrae Crouch, Ken Medema, Bill Pearce, Suzanne Johnson, Jimmy McDonald, and Evie Tornquist) give full programs of music, sometimes in churches and sometimes in auditoriums. And there is a new breed of professional Christian musicians, some of whom have crossed over into the pop market, most notably Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith. Many of these young performers write their own songs and perform them almost exclusively. All of this activity has been a great boon to the religious music publishing and recording businesses and has created a multimillion dollar market-centered largely in Nashville, Tennessee. It is safe to say that we have just witnessed the most significant new development in Christian witness music since Ira Sankey popularized the gospel song more than 100 years ago.

No doubt there is much that is good in the new spirit and expressions of worship. But, as in so much of life, every plus is a potential minus if we do not maintain a healthy balance. It is well to give vent to emotional expression, providing it does not lead to emotionalism and irrationality. The new humanism is good when it helps us be more aware of ourselves and our neighbors in full-orbed worship and fellowship, but bad if we substitute transcendent human experience for a full understanding of the transcendence of God. The creativity that new forms offer may lead to a loss of meaning and identity if we forsake completely the historic expressions that are part of our religious roots. Finally, the “new enjoyment” may lead to a worship hedonism that is another form of idolatry—worshiping the experience instead of God.

The Arts in Independent Fundamentalist and Evangelical Churches

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Churches of the Independent Fundamentalist and Evangelical denomination use a wide variety of elements in worship renewal, reflecting the differing backgrounds of the individuals who make up its congregations. Music continues to be an important contribution to worship, and environmental art, dance, and drama are used increasingly. Leadership is often assigned to a minister of fine arts.

A significant trend in the renewal of worship is the new emphasis on music and the visual arts. The trend is so significant that churches are hiring ministers of music and worship, or of music and fine arts, or simply ministers of fine arts. The churches are rethinking the meaning of worship, music, and liturgy.

Music

Philosophy. Music has often been thought of as a part of heavenly worship. It is one of the few “descriptive” elements of earthly worship that clearly continues in the heavenly realm and expresses both the heart and mind of the worshiper. For music in worship to be authentic, it must be embraced by both the heart and the mind. As the congregation comes to understand and experience this, worship can be revitalized. Where worship is dynamic and genuine, music is seen as substantive, theological, and significant. It is not to be merely a decorative addition but becomes an audible expression of the heart and mind.

Style. One of the contributing factors to revitalized worship that is often cited by members of the congregation is the great variety of musical styles heard during services. In observing creation, we see that the Creator’s own handiwork is expressed with considerable variety. Having been made in the image of God, it is reasonable, even expected, that one should express his or her love in a variety of styles and colors appropriate to a specific environment. Worship music ought to reflect the style of each culture and the unique perspective of each ethnic group. Thus, variety enables the worshiper to gain a sense of history (the Independent Fundamentalist and Evangelical churches were not the first to discover authentic worship), a sense of identity (our churches are only a small part of the “holy, catholic church”), and a sense of joy, color, and creativity (there are many ways to express love). The many arts offer a great opportunity to teach the breadth of style for the glory of God.

Function of Music. One of the hallmarks of renewal in worship is understanding that music serves many different functions in worship. Just as a service is organized around the several aspects of worship (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, Communion, and so forth), likewise music must be planned to serve each of these components. Music planning should not merely be a matter of plugging in an all-purpose “opener” and “closer,” but rather should involve reflecting on what the text of a musical number actually says and from that determining where it might best be placed in the service. Great historical hymns as well as contemporary examples, occasional chant, gospel songs, praise choruses, singing of psalms, and responsorial hymnody all become part of the regular musical expression in worship. Thus, very rarely is the service identical from week to week. There is, however, enough repetition with an ever-expanding body of musical literature so that continuity is maintained.

Contemporary Instrumentals. One of the clear trends in churches marked by dynamic worship is the growth of instrumental programs. It is common for larger churches to hire part-time or full-time instrumental directors. Of particular note is the interest in synthesizers and other high-tech devices. The surge of interest in “discovering the potential within” and meditation has resulted in a whole field of reflective mood music that makes considerable use of keyboard instruments of all kinds and acoustic guitars. The church, which might be criticized for merely following contemporary trends in commercial music, has seen a rise in the use of straight instrumental music in worship. This may not be bad in itself, but is rather to be welcomed, but for different reasons than the usual “this is what the people are listening to and we want to be relevant.” A far better reason to use handbells, guitars, strings, brass, winds, synthesizers, pipe organs, pianos, and percussion are that they can help us express the feelings, ideas, and joys we can express in no other way. The minister of music is called upon to create, arrange, or find parts for the available instrumentalists and to foster the development of players within the congregation.

The Arts

Environmental Art. It is common and desirable for churches to be constructed in such a manner as to allow flexibility for the placement in the chancel area of the important items needed for worship (pulpit, font, Table, choir, etc.). Depending on the size and shape of the sanctuary (sadly, often called the “auditorium”), the pews or chairs can be variously arranged to reflect the particular emphasis from week to week. In the larger congregations, of course, there is less flexibility.

It is the practice of some congregations to display Advent and Holy Week banners. While this is usual in certain denominations, others in the free-church tradition have begun to benefit from a more general awareness of the church year and the use of banners and hangings. It is common to find the display of flags and festive processional surrounding mission conferences. One church offers Communion every other month on Sunday mornings, while Communion services in the alternate months are in the evening. The ministers, who normally wear suits, don vestments for these services. It is not uncommon to find a wide variety of liturgical expressions in worship since independent churches often draw from a wide variety of religious affiliations. More importantly, these churches have also discovered that this variety opens whole new vistas of possibilities for worship.

Drama. Another significant movement in recent years is the development of drama in worship and ministry. Numerous Christian drama troupes travel the country, and drama ministries within local churches have flourished. One such local church developed a dramatic rendering of the story of Hannah, Samuel, Elkanah, and Eli at Samuel’s dedication to the Lord. The portion from the First Book of Samuel was developed into an eight-to-nine-minute vignette suitable for part of a service that included a children’s dedication.

Some portions of Scripture are best read dramatically, and others in dialogue with a narrator. Sometimes portions are most effective if the reader is not seen as, for example, when the voice is to be that of God (e.g., the story of the Transfiguration).

In some churches, a theater ministry has recently developed with various kinds of outreach productions, particularly in the Christmas and Easter seasons. These are variously approached from the simplest (and perhaps least interesting) use of an already published “canned cantata” to completely original work. One church works with an entirely new script each year but uses a wide variety of styles and sources for Christmas music. This has the benefit of using familiar Christmas music in combination with an original story. Also, the church’s resources in talent and vision are given opportunities for expression.

It is also common to find dance, usually a combination of ballet and mime in festive programs, or in special seasons such as Holy Week. There is a growing awareness, albeit reluctant in some quarters of the church, of the great ability to communicate beautifully through dance in worship. In this ministry, it is important that the performers are very good and clearly understand the nature of the offering. The best and most effective source for the dancers is in the congregation itself. It would seem most inappropriate to ask an unbeliever to lead in worship in a dancing role.

The Minister of Fine Arts

One of the clear responsibilities of the minister of fine arts in worship renewal is the great privilege and responsibility of teaching. The church has too often used frustrated performers in leadership positions in worship. This has often led to a clash of egos. This is the great danger in so-called “contemporary worship” led by a Christian band that “performs” or leads worship. Ministers of fine arts, those called upon for leadership in the artistic elements of worship, need to teach both their congregations and their fellow staff members about the nature of worship. Fine arts staffs should include persons who have some training in music education and worship, but not simply those with degrees in music performance, e.g., organists who know only the traditional repertoire. Put simply, much more versatility is required of them, and they must be an active part of the congregation’s spiritual life. Sadly, ministers of fine arts are still largely left on their own in developing an appropriate philosophy of art in worship, though there are happily a few exceptions being developed in some seminary programs.

Modern Evangelical Movement

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The modern evangelical movement has focused on publishing, missionary outreach, and the preservation of key conservative doctrines. These doctrines include viewing Christ and the Trinity in terms consistent with the Nicene Creed, the imminent return of Christ to gather up the faithful, and recognition of Scripture as the inerrant Word of God.

Impact: Since World War II the evangelical movement has steadily gained prominence within denominations and among believers with the establishment of educational institutions like Fuller Theological Seminary and Wheaton College, publications like Christianity Today, and organizations like the National Association of Evangelicals.

Sunday, William Ashley (Billy)

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William Ashley (Billy) Sunday (1862-1935) was born in Ames, Iowa Sunday grew up in an army orphanage after the death of his father, a Union soldier. For eight years, beginning in 1883, he was a renowned baseball player for various National League teams. He became a Christian after listening to a street preacher in Chicago and immediately abandoned his baseball career, where he was making $5,000 per year, for a job in the Y.M.C.A. that paid less than $100 a month. After working as a chaplain during World War I he returned home and began holding evangelistic crusades. Known for his physically exuberant and theatrical preaching, he became very popular and attracted thousands to his tent meetings. It is estimated that several hundred thousand people came to Christ during his crusades. His conservative views were very influential among evangelical churches during the early 20th century.

Strong, James

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James Strong (1822-1894) was born in New York City. He studied ancient languages at Wesleyan University. A man of many talents he worked as a college professor, the president of a railroad company, and as a city administrator. In 1868 he became professor of exegetical theology at Drew Theological Seminary where he remained until shortly before his death. Among his numerous books was the seminal Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. He was a great defender of conservative theology and biblical interpretation and his concordance remains a standard for many evangelical Christians.