Hermeneutics for Musical Worship (Part 2)
Thursday, November 8
The following is the final part of the essay, hermeneutical methods for developing a biblical theology of musical worship, which i wrote in may of 2012 for my hermeneutics class at multnomah reno-tahoe.
In the same way that Farley has outlined three different perspectives of hermeneutics which affect corporate worship, there are more specific worship styles which are highly and hotly debated. These worship styles are not merely based off style per se, but the way certain congregations interpret determines the way they will conduct their corporate worship gatherings. They all interpret Scripture but they do so in various ways. Also, just as important, is that these congregations also interpret the culture in various ways. Following is an analysis of the differing results of interpreting Scripture and interpreting culture and the outcome of putting an emphasis on one of these interpretations over the other.
One worship style that has a high view of interpreting scripture is traditional hymn-based worship. This style of worship also has a strong reliance on the hymnbook. Harold M. Best writes frequently on the hymnbook, describing it as a metrical theology, putting to melody the whole character of God, His works, His plans, and His accomplishments. Best also comments that the contemporary/praise worship practices have done little to show the whole story of God’s workings, the human condition, and its responses to God.[1] The emphasis in traditional hymn-based worship is to retain theologically solid truths that can be sung back to God and the hymnbook seems to be their answer for thinking and singing biblically.
Another similar worship style is formal-liturgical worship, which stresses the idea of bible-based verticality, prescribed worship, and quality music. Bible-based verticality specifically means that worship cannot stand without solid, biblical truth and that worship should look up first, before looking out.[2] This implies that the formal-liturgical worship cherishes the interpretation of Scripture above the interpretation of culture. Formal-liturgical worship follows prescribed worship, meaning that they simply don’t just make up the order of their worship services as they go. This worship style also cherishes quality music. Paul Zahl goes as far as writing, “Music that is under-rehearsed, shoddily or self-indulgently presented, or superficial in text does not cohere with formal-liturgical worship. We cannot make peace with it.”[3]
Two worship styles that seem to emphasize an interpretation of culture include contemporary music-driven worship and emerging worship. Interestingly enough, Joe Horness begins his essay on contemporary music-driven worship by interpreting Isaiah 29:13 to show a need for a transition from “disinterested reciting of creeds and singing of hymns into an authentic time of loving and grateful interaction with the One who shed his blood for us.”[4] Obviously this interpretation of Isaiah 29:13 would not agree with those of the formal-liturgical and traditional hymn-based worship style. They may agree with the principle within Horness’ interpretation but they do not see their congregations as disinterested and unauthentic. A large motivation for contemporary music-driven worship is the idea of ministering to unbelievers in the culture. Horness repeatedly writes of the traditional church poorly communicating to his unchurched friends. Contemporary music-driven worship seeks “to teach God’s truth in a way that [their] unchurched friends would be able to understand and apply to their lives.”[5]
Emerging worship also has a high view of interpreting culture. This worship style is very concerned with the worshiper’s experience, including visual arts and creative elements of the worship gathering. In her explanation of emerging worship, Sally Morgenthaler talks of radical recontexting. Emerging worship seeks to “recontext the past in the present, to fuse the best of yesterday with the best of today.”[6] Some brief practical examples of this type of worship would include electronic versions of a hymn, artistic videos of creation, hands-on props which represent something in the sermon and other experiential events for the worshiper. Emerging worship seems to be an extension of contemporary music-driven worship by its concern for communicating to the current culture but goes further by using art and hands-on experience.
The final style is called blended worship and is a mixture between liturgical and contemporary worship. Robert Webber describes blended worship by stating, "The traditional church was missing the sense of a real and vital experience with God. The contemporary movement was missing substance."[7] This reveals a concern for both interpretation of Scripture and interpretation of culture. Blended worship tries to fill in the gaps of traditional and contemporary worship by using hymns, contemporary music, and art to both connect with culture and teach biblical truth.
D. A. Carson writes, “to construct a theology of worship turns out to be a difficult task” and it is easy to see how correct he is.[8] All of these principles and all of these worship styles have changed lives and have encouraged the body of believers in some way or another. None of them are incorrect or unbiblical and they all have advantages and disadvantages. These different worship principles and styles did not just come about because of personal taste or preference, but through various interpretations of scripture, as well as vast interpretations of the current culture. The goal of worship is a “growing knowledge of God and delight in him - not delight in worship per se, but delight in God" and all of these styles and principles seek that goal.[9] These diverse interpretations of Scripture and culture allow for a beautiful array of corporate worship gatherings that seek to delight in God.
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