Todd Pruitt writes that worship music is often viewed as “a means to facilitate an encounter with God,” or as a means of drawing close to God. He believes this to be a great theological error and that it resembles “ecstatic pagan practices,” though he provides no evidence for this assertion. Quite profoundly, Pruitt critiques non-sacramental Christians for attributing a sacramental status to music. He then presents several problems with emotionally-driven worship.
There ought to be no disagreement with Pruitt on the dangers of emotionally-driven worship. When edible bread and wine are replaced by audible beats and melodies, God’s people will become malnourished. Yet, at the same time, the error is an imbalance of sensory stimulation, not the idea that music facilitates an encounter with God.
Music is most certainly a means of encountering God. The entire liturgy is a dialogue, or dance, between the bride and the bridegroom. We sing to “honor God and to edify our fellow believers,” absolutely. But it is not a one-way conversation. Our singing is first and foremost a response to Christ’s call to enter into his presence. He commands us to sing and play instruments in doing so. The Holy Spirit uses music as a vehicle of dialogue in addition to the stimulation of sight, smell, touch, and taste. The ideal worship service will have a balance of each.
Pruitt goes so far as to say that there is “no evidence whatsoever in Scripture that music mediates direct encounters or experiences with God.” To the contrary, the Bible is full of music facilitating God’s blessing, provision, and judgment. David’s harp exorcises a tormenting spirit from Saul (1 Sam. 16:23), the hand of Yahweh comes upon Elisha during the playing of music (2 Kings 3:15), Yahweh defeats Israel’s enemies during worship (2 Chron. 20:21-22), and judgments are poured out at the sound of trumpets in Revelation. These are only a few examples of many.
Music has an emotional aspect as well. All music stirs emotions within the hearer. It may stir apathy, pleasure, or distaste, but it is influential nonetheless. God has made us this way; it is inescapable. We should expect a mixture of emotions throughout worship such as joy, celebration, sorrow, and lamentation. This is proper if done in reverence and self-control. It should not be overbalanced but it must not be disparaged, either.
Perhaps sacramental Christians are inconsistent when we deny a sacramental aspect of musical worship. Alexander Schmemann described the world as “one all-embracing eucharist … a cosmic sacrament.” All of creation has been made to give us an encounter with the one true God. If that resembles paganism, then may we be biblical-pagans all the more.<>
Adam – Thanks for interacting with my article. Obviously, we see things a bit differently. I stand by my position that the Bible never imparts sacramental powers to music. This shouldn’t surprise. I am reformed and hold to the Westminster Confession of Faith. Anyway, I would suggest that the examples you offer actually prove the point. What I mean is that the examples you list do not describe music as facilitating an encounter with God. Rather they describe events when music accompanied the work of God. Perhaps our difference is semantic. But suspect it is more given the title of your post.
I love that you read this & responded to it Todd Pruitt . I have not ” made up my mind ” about much of this subject matter . The question for me remains , what is worship ? and what does it mean to do so in spirit & in truth ? I sometimes wonder if any of this ( both articles & their content by Adam & Todd ) applies really at all . Perhaps this type of worship our Father wants goes much deeper and is much more simple at the same time . If we can worship God in all our activities , then the point becomes somewhat moot as to the expression in a church setting or otherwise . But I play the drums , and everyone knows drummers ain’t right . 😉 ~ Thanks to you both gentlemen .
I was brought up in holiness Pentecostalism and saw the vulgarity of some their “dances”, especially by the women. I have been ridiculed for my stance and needless to say I am no longer welcome. There was one lady, Mama Taylor, when she would dance it was fluid with no vulgarity and was complete worship without trying to attract attention to herself. It was very much like the dance done in Messianic services.
The problem is then the small churches in america with the little old lady at the Piano cannot be a “means to Grace” as well as the Big church down the street where you have an interactive concert and band every Sunday morning.
I am adding notes to my previous content regarding small churches without a band and concert hall. The sacraments are something ordinary or common as a means of God’s grace. Musical skills and talents are not necessarily ordinary or common, bread, water and the cup are common. Preaching the Word is common, music I do not see as common thing becoming a means of Grace. Music is worship and praise, true, but that is not the only way to worship and praise, but it is not a means of Grace in the way that the commonality of wine, bread and water are a means of Grace. Should we adopt pagan ways of preaching? Baptism? Partaking of the Lords Supper? Because if Music is a sacrament, that is, a means of Grace, and paganism is in our music it should not bother us to change up the Lord’s Supper and Baptism with Pagan nuances. The small church where I attend does not have the full band or concert hall of the bigger, more flashy church down the street and many attend there because of the “better” music. Is their “Sacrament of Music” more effective at encountering God” than our “Sacrament of music?” Because if what you say is true, then my church is failing at people encountering God. Maybe we should shut our doors and be part of that bigger church with their pagan Sacrament of Music.
It is God’s Word alone which causes music to have any true spiritual benefit. Music with no association to God’s Word has no such benefit. Luther called music the handmaiden of the Gospel. It helps to transmit the Gospel. For this reason, Luther gave it the highest praise next to theology. He put this into practice by promoting congregational song and facilitating the writing of numerous hymns that teach the truths of Scripture.
We as whole people and as redeemed children of God respond intellectually, physically, and emotionally to the combination of music and the Word.
It is improper to call music sacramental if a Sacrament is understood to be directly commanded by Jesus, deriving power from God’s Word and promise, connected with a tangible earthly element, and directly delivering God’s gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation by the power of the Holy Spirit. Music may meet some of these tests, but not all. Music is not a Means of Grace, but it is a natural and supportive companion to them.