Tower and Town, March 2021 (view the full edition)Music And WorshipMusic has been the heart of worship since the beginning. For the human experience, music has an incredible way of lifting the spirit and speaking to the heart. The Songs of Solomon and Psalms of David are key examples. King David especially: David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, trimbles, cymbals and trumpets 1 Chronicles 13:8. This is not the sedate conservative music of Johan Sebastian Bach, beautiful as that is. This was energetic, excited praise, with loud instruments and dancing. My whole family was musical. My mother played piano for the choir, my father led the Sunday school in worship, and as children, we all played an instrument or two. I remember my brother Geoff being asked to play guitar in church for the first time. What I remember most is not the song, but that people walked out in protest. But since then everything has changed and popular music has transferred its style and instruments into praise and worship. If we look back in time, across the pond to the USA, gospel music was already firmly embedded into church worship, especially in the southern states. Such a joyful, uplifting music with which to praise God. My introduction to music was the sixties, lively, energetic and loud. So when I started playing in church myself, this was the style of music that I was drawn to. New songs were slow to emerge so we repurposed popular songs, emphasising the words that had a spiritual meaning: The Beatles: Help me if you can, I'm feeling down ... And I do appreciate you being 'round ... Help me get my feet back on the ground ... Won't you please, please help me?Cat Stevens: I was once like you are now .. And I know that it's not easy .. To be calm when you've found .. something going on .. But take your time, think a lot .. Think of everything you've got .. For you will still be here tomorrow .. But your dreams may not.The Bachelors: I believe, above the storm, the smallest prayer will still be heard ... I believe that someone in the great somewhere, hears every word .. Every time I hear a newborn baby cry, or touch a leaf, or see the sky ... Then I know why ... I believe.This was particularly useful when Kymee and I ran a youth club on a council estate on the west edge of Southampton. These were un-churched kids, mostly from families who had no history of going to church. In fact we were well aware that half of the children who came were probably chucked out of the house and told not to come back home until the streetlights came on. Their connection with music was simply what they heard on the radio. But when they heard us using popular songs to express our faith, it struck a chord and they wanted to join in. A particularly powerful song: Love can Build a Bridge, had amazing words: I'd gladly walk across the desert with no shoes upon my feet ... To share with you the last bite of bread I had to eat ... I would swim out to save you in your sea of broken dreams ... When all your hopes are sinking, let me show you what love means … These kids did not have the experience of someone giving unconditional love. But they certainly understood the message. In 1992 we were given some advice from Steve Chalk. If you’re going to run a youth club for the church, do not apologise for the message; shout the Good News loudly. Start with a prayer, sing songs of praise and worship, read the bible, talk about morals and finish with songs and prayers. It was the best advice we could have received. These young people were so hungry for the message of love and forgiveness. The good news of Jesus and the idea of making a commitment. And music was right at the heart of their experience. We would sit in a circle on Sunday night, and hand out copies of Spring Harvest’s song book and bibles. They could choose any song, or read any verse. Or they could read the lyrics to their favourite pop song. Suddenly they saw God’s love reflected in everything around them. The words jumped off the page and they spoke them with confidence and sang them with heart. These wonderful Sunday nights became a building block into our journey to Spring Harvest, and the joyful, energetic music was the focus of each day. Worship leaders like Matt Redman, Brenton Brown, Paul Baloche, Graham Kendrick, Noel Richards. Big songs, with a big message. The glow of excitement on their faces, the wonder, and need for answers kept us up late, talking. The words sank deeply into their hearts and new Christians were born every day. Years later, we are still in touch with some, and their faith has not diminished. David’s example with the ‘ten stringed lyre and trumpets’ shows us how uplifting music can be, and at Big Church Day Out, you can still find me dancing ... Rod Cleasby |