THE ROLE OF PERSONAL TASTE IN CHRISTIANITY
FROM STYLES OF WORSHIP TO STYLES OF MUSIC

     This treatise gives an evaluation on the danger of churchmen using their personal tastes to determine what GOD likes and what GOD doesn’t like. To impose any personal taste that stands outside of the Bible’s counsel on the boundaries of sin is a sin in the eyes of heaven. As Jesus plainly taught that the Word of GOD will judge every man (Mk.13:23; Jn.12:48), for any minister to deviate from that Standard and impose his own criteria for the proper worship of GOD and stewardship of the church violates the LORD’S warning: “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” Deut.4:2. This has been a crippling factor in spiritual growth within the church from the dawn of popes who have taken upon themselves the role of kings. This very structure that has ruled the church for over 1,700 years Jesus Christ condemned: “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so.” Lu.22:25,26.

PART I

     Many come to the Christian church in the hope of learning true doctrine and contributing to the work of Christ as a member of the church. While we can praise GOD for the faithful ministers and members, there are some who speak from the pulpit that lack the wisdom to minister to those who come to the church desperately seeking a refuge of compassion, where they can be assured that they are safe and can make themselves vulnerable to others without receiving any clumsy or harsh remonstrance. Satan is eager to lead our people to hurt those whose lives have been wounded through the cruel deeds of others. Many testimonies declare their spiritual discouragement due to their mistreatment at a church service. Satan's agents in the church are the great stigma of the Christian faith. The church is to be the “balm of Gilead” for the sin-sick soul, not a monastery for the self-righteous!

     Scripture states that the method of our relating to one another is a delicate work. And caution must be taken in the language we use. Christ counsels us to “anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see” (Rev.3:18). Therefore, exercising godly (not manmade) discernment, following the best avenue by which GOD can work to secure people’s salvation is the supreme service we can give to our LORD, Saviour, and KING.

     To the end that when we love the world as Christ loved the world, then His mission for us will have been accomplished. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Jn.3:16. First came the Father’s love. His love is seen in the gift of Jesus Christ to pay the ransom for His children who were kidnapped by heaven’s arch nemesis, Satan via the sinful tactics employed to deceive and destroy. Through “the Son of man” demonstrating the power of GOD’S love, even to bear the guilt and shame of “the sins of the whole world” to His death (I Jn.2:2), those who through faith “believe that Jesus died and rose again” (I Thess.4:4) are to share the wonders of eternity with the One Who made it all possible: “Jesus Christ the righteous” (I Jn.2:1).

     To those who think they are at liberty to bypass the LORD’S words of encouragement, comfort, and His admonitions pointing out the many snares of sin, Christ’s warning is clear: “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believeth in me [whether a child or a grownup] it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” Matt.18:6.

     Two extremes have become dominant in today’s modern churches. One is the celebration church whose “peace and safety” message circumvents the great warnings of Scripture on the dangers of sin and how the vast majority whose names are registered on the church books stand void of the Presence of Christ in their lives, and thus, will not receive eternal life (Matt.7:14; 22:14; I Pet.4:18). To present the message of Christ’s love without warning of the many dangers of sin betrays the true definition of the love that Christ demonstrated in both word and deed.

     The second extreme is void of Christ’s gentleness. On many occasions in both Sabbath and Sunday keeping churches the Holy Word of GOD has been read from the pulpit reflecting a tone of voice unbefitting Christ. The Holy Scripture’s call of the “still, small voice,” whose tender entreaty, “Follow me,” is often overruled and replaced with a pompous and even threatening character: the character of popery, and not of Christ. This is an offense to holy angels and the LORD Jesus Christ. The Word that spoke all into existence, the Voice that said, “thou art mine” deserves a tone of reverence that should make us tremble and weep with joy and love for the GOD Who has redeemed us by His blood. Truly, “The word of God is...a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Heb.4:12.

     The saddest part of bearing a false witness against the true character of GOD as revealed in the Scriptures is the fact that the minister’s words spoken following their reading of Scripture are given a greater pathos than that given to the Word of GOD, creating the illusion that the minister’s own words are of more value than GOD’S Holy Word—that their standard of love is superior to the standard found in the Word of GOD. This is the spirit of self-supremacy that is often conveyed, however innocent the intentions may be.

PART II

     It is along these lines that words come from the pulpit declaring what music should be allowed in the sanctuary. In the major denomination, “Church of Christ” they forbid any musical instrument in their church, whether of piano, guitar, or the traditional organ. The claim is that in the New Testament there is no testimony of music instruments at the gathering of the Apostles. Therefore, due to this silence, all instruments are forbidden to take part in the worship of GOD and Jesus Christ. But all throughout Israel’s history a broad range of musical instruments were used in the worship of GOD to accompany the happy singing voices. Many a psalm was accompanied “with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp,” and “upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.” I Sam.10:5; Ps.92:3. And there is not a single verse in the Bible remonstrating their use in the New Testament era. The “Church of Christ” clearly and arrogantly overlooked the plain prophecy declaring that the saints in the “new heaven and the new earth” will be given beautiful harps to accompany their voices as they sing their praises: “and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps…and them that had gotten the victory…stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.” Rev.14:12; 15:2. Instruments were allowed in the past, and they are prophesied for the future; but they are disallowed today. This is hypocrisy of the first order. And church hypocrisy is seen on a host of fronts. And the Bible believing Christian is called to have the “eye salve” to identify where it lies and avoid partaking of it.

     Again, many new-style churches forbid the old hymns to be sung. This is because of the preference for the new praise and worship style whose lyrics more often than not are trite and repetitive. In these services the electric bass and drums are the foundation of their worship in music. Two things must be said about sound of the snare drum:

1. The accents placed on the second and fourth beats, with the snare drum are hypnotic, thereby bypassing the intellect and noble power of reason, and drawing solely on the base passions. This comes under the influence of “an enchanter” (use of hypnotism of any kind) that Moses warned to avoid over 3,400 years ago (Deut.18:9-13).

2. The sharp attack of the sound of the snare drum is violent by nature, being akin to the sound of a gunshot. Thus, the softening and subduing power of the Holy Ghost is held back via the aggressive quality and hypnotic repetition of the drum beat. The percussion instruments are to be incidental (background) to the music and not in the foreground.

     As to the electric bass, the low tones vibrate the lower extremities of the body, exciting the gonads in both men and women. This sensual influence works against the sanctification of the character to reflect the similitude of Jesus Christ. In this, Paul admonished: "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." Gal.5:17.

     Another stumbling block on this study of music in the church, many ministers will forbid performing selected pieces of classical music. Let us prayerfully examine to see if the Holy Spirit has been drawing hearts to Jesus Christ through classical music, or the spirit of Satan, of which many professionally trained musicians have been publicly accused of harboring in their Christian ministry.

     The “Father of Classical Music” is the German composer, J.S. Bach: a man who lived 250 years ago at the height of the Reformation. Who was the inspiration behind Bach’s musical creativity? On the top of the page of his compositions he wrote, “To the Glory of God.” He is among the most respectable of classical composers whose livelihood was writing music for the church. And his technical demands stretched (or “sanctified”) the facility of the human hand to greatly improve the skill of music composition and performance. His rules of music composition became the standard for all the composers that followed him over the next 100 years.

     The broad range of classical styles seen in Beethoven, Mozart, and Brahms, then developing into the Romantic Era of Chopin, Shumann, and Liszt cover every aspect of life’s experiences: from happy to sad; from encouraging to great trials; from invigorating to restful. But in each case the master composers always delivered the listener from the tension in the sound. Harmonic and melodic stress builds, and then the stress is released. This structure, found only in classical music, matches the lessons of salvation in the Holy Bible, where men have constantly faced life’s many threats because of sin, but then the deliverance of GOD always comes to their rescue: “Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.” Ps.107:6.

     Many Christians today who publicly condemn classical music, simply do not like classical music. They cannot appreciate the complexity and caliber of this artistry, for it stretches the discipline of listening, which is uncomfortable for most people. Most people prefer simple music. That’s OK. Their tastes are allowed. Scripture teaches that GOD never interferes with man’s personal tastes in culture, but rather the threats of sin in our lives. In summation, their personal taste does not allow them to cultivate an appreciation of the value or beauty of classical music.

     But farm crops and houseplants like classical music! University studies have proven that accelerated growth and strengthening occurs when plants are bathed in the sound of classical music. [Studies have also shown how rock music (Christian rock included), rap, and heavy metal stunt a plant's growth, actually holding it back from reaching it's maturity]. Nevertheless, this same benefit from classical music applies to the character growth of human beings. This structure of music, with its primary melodic instruments of violin and flute, actuates the pineal gland in the brain. The pineal sits atop the totem pole of the glands in the human body. And the pineal gland has been shown to bridge to the noble powers of the mind.

     The reason for this benefit is due to the law of acoustics. The natural harmonics of a string produces a chord of sound that rejoices the heart in man. The ten primary harmonics are sweet to the soul, giving a profound sense of rest. And classical music makes the best use of the law of acoustics united with the diversity of life's experience: with the four seasons, the maturing of age, and with all of life's ups and downs.

     In summation, classical music has been used of GOD to bring more souls to the kingdom of heaven than many religious men or even religious institutions who have publicly claimed their method of ministry to be superior to GOD’S ministry in and through classical music. Even if given a thousand years these men and their institutions could not match the contribution that classical music has made to the cause of Christ. Only during the Millennium Judgment of the saints in heaven will these things be made clear.

     Just one example from my personal testimony as a classical violinist: After completing a vespers program of selected pieces of classical music at the Winter Haven SDA Church, a woman and her husband came up to me. She told me how her husband is totally deaf; but that night the LORD opened his ears so he could hear the music I played. I looked at him and he was smiling a grand smile! And as to why his ears did not remain open I cannot judge.

     The ministry GOD graciously called me to, to perform classical selections for Sabbath schools, the sermons of pastors, Florida Conference Camp Meetings, evangelistic crusades, public concerts inviting people to the SDA Church, a 3ABN performance followed with an interview by Danny and Linda Shelton, prisons, weddings, even playing for souls in hospital beds as they lay on their deathbeds—moments away from the ceasing of their breath—all this has been accused as being condemned of GOD and is the work of Satan. “Can I hear an Amen?” these ministers demand: closing with an altar call to denounce classical music. The blind congregations go forward at the minister's command.

     But the most amazing testimony that validates GOD’S love and power is seen in a woman DIVINELY SHIELDED FROM SHAME. The story of Mary Magdalene is not the only example where Christ covered someone’s shame.

     At a Bible Conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee I met a sweet elderly lady who, in her college days was a violin scholarship student. Although she was quite old her eyes had the youthful glow of a 16 year-old girl.

     In order for her to maintain scholarship status she had to perform the Bruch Violin Concerto with the school orchestra. This is a difficult piece of music and she worked on the technical demands but could never master the difficult passages.

     The day of the concert came and she wasn’t ready, so she told her father that it was just too embarrassing to try to perform a concerto above her skill level. Her father told her to pray about it, and whatever she decided, he would stand by her. She prayed and the Spirit of the LORD tugged her heart to fulfill her obligation—and play.

     That evening she walked on the stage and the orchestra began with the introduction. And when it was time for her to begin, all she could do was to stand there trembling. Paralyzed with fear she couldn't move a muscle. Just then she heard her solo being performed! Where was it coming from? She looked at the Concertmaster. He was only playing his part. She looked at the Principal Second Violin and then at the entire section. None of them were playing her solo melody. And yet it was sounding throughout the concert hall: sweet and respectable.

     Much of the music had passed and her nerves finally calmed, and so she began to play and finish out the performance. To both the musicians on stage and to the audience, she had appeared to perform the entire piece. But she’ll tell you that she just stood there motionless and trembling.

     The LORD would not suffer her to endure the shame before her peers. He covered her nakedness with His righteousness. And it is His righteous judgment that shields us all from the shame that sin has wrought.

     In closing: those who take it upon themselves to judge what is acceptable service to GOD that Scripture does not address, the Bible puts it this way: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” These are some of the dangers coming from the pulpits of the churches.

     When these sins can be removed, when tears of humility can replace the dead scholarship, when the power-play for authority can be removed in the minds of our members, then the LORD can safely fill the pews with souls who need tender loving care; and through Christ-centered outreach these new members can be prepared, as well as ourselves, for the closing scenes of Earth’s sinful history ushering the 2nd Advent of Jesus Christ.