In my list of top 5 CD’s included on brother who, to me, is the epitome of presenting Christian music in a biblical way. Steve Green has shaped and formed my ministry as much as anyone that I can think of. I’m not saying that he is perfect. There is only One Who is. I’m not saying that I embrace every one of his songs. What I am saying is that the way he presents the gospel in song is one to be modeled by many young Music Ministers. His tone, his texts, his countenance, his tempered stylings all get the singer out of the way and exalt the lyrics.
I can hear some saying now: “But I can’t take his tame music style!” If you think I’m trying to point to a particular music style you are missing my point. What Green does as well as any I have ever seen is to sing and minister through music in such a way that I am interested in his excellence but I quickly move past it to focus on the texts that he sings. His skill as a singer is only the initial interest but I don’t get hung up there. I am freed to go deeper…to glory in the gospel that is sung. Sovereign Grace music does that, too.
What is that delicate balance? At what point is the musicianship level so high and so artistic that I am only glorying in great art? At what point is it too low that I am repulsed at the lack of skill?
What we strive to do here in our music at Grace Life is to balance on that razor-thin edge of selfless excellence. We strive to prepare our music not to achieve perfection (for who can do such?) but at a level that will hopefully remove as much distraction as possible for those listening and participating. You may not agree with the style. You may not even think that our music is that good. Compared to many churches, it probably isn’t that good. However, we are striving to constantly and continuously improve our musicianship while also deepen humility. Hopefully it is better than it was last year, which was better than the year before that, etc.
If we strive to make our music at such a level that we will boast in it, then we have taken the approach sinfully. If we ignore our musicianship at the cost of creating distractions because of missed notes, pitches, or words (not to mention sound system issues) then we have also taken the wrong path.
The mystery in all of this is I can’t point to a specific spot and say “There it is!” I can’t tell any church music department or Music Minister that they have “arrived” or offer a tangible level to reach. (Sounds a lot like sanctification, doesn’t it?) I can’t even do that for our own church’s music. All I know is that we must all be in a condition of arriving—both musically and spiritually. It is because of this ambiguity that I’m not going to give you a list or bullets to this post.
What I do want each of you to think about is that term—selfless excellence. Are you achieving excellence but doing so selfishly? Don’t be fooled into thinking that your high, artistic, elegant, virtuoso music is pleasing to God because it is at a high musical level (1 Cor. 1:26-31). Are you being “selfless” but at such poor musical levels that it really draws attention to yourself anyway? Don’t be fooled into thinking that your rough, rustic, down-home, raw presentation is humble. You may be glorying in your shame (Phil 3:19).
Go to Bro. Tom's blogspot site here to give comments
