Tis_the_Season_for_Holiday_Music.pdf

Tis the Season for ... Holiday Music! How then shall we listen?

If there is one thing that will increase as we move into the holiday season, it’s holiday music. I say “holiday” because it is all too obvious that even though not everyone celebrates Christmas, it does seem that in our culture many celebrate their “holiday spirit” with song.

But as disciples of Jesus Christ, how should we celebrate this season? Is the song we sing as Christians any different?

In short, yes! Our song is different! … But not in the way you might think.

One of the many interesting things about music, across the globe, is how similar it is in raw sound. Though there is a vast variety in how different peoples arrange these sounds to express their own culture, they use the same basic materials to do so. Why is this important?

It’s important to recognize that musical sound—in and of itself—is a physical reality, not a moral one. Because there are no mp3s in our ESVs, we have no way of verifying that one musical sound is morally “better” than another. Different, yes. But better? No.

Therefore, we shouldn’t say that musically, “Here Comes Santa Claus” is morally inferior to Handel’s Messiah, though there are obvious sonic differences.

In fact, music comes on the scene in Genesis 4 where Jubal is called the “father of all those who play the lyre and pipe,” mentioned alongside two other cultural advancements: cattle-herding and tool-making. But no moral connection is made about any of these things—just cultural acceptance.

But are we just to accept music merely on a cultural basis?

No. As Christians we should care about what God says in his word—the Bible—about everything, including music.

Biblically speaking, we can see that musical sound has been around since the beginning—especially as a tool of cultural celebration. But is this OK? What does God think? Should his people use this same “tool” for their celebrating as they do for celebrating him? Just ask Moses.

Immediately following God’s miraculous rescue of his people from Pharaoh, what do they do? They sing! Moses doesn’t miss a beat (pun intended) and leads the entire people of Israel in corporate praise to the God who saved them. How? In the most culturally appropriate way he knew of: With a song!

There were no recorded objections among the people as they joined in singing, but what is even more astonishing is that God doesn’t object—he receives this praise in musical song form! God allows his people to praise him using the same cultural tool of celebration that had preceded them, which had absolutely no explicit ties to the worship of Yahweh or explicit command.

Now, here’s the connection with “holiday” music. “Holy-days” are special “set apart” days that are deemed more important than the others because something special is being celebrated. They are not necessarily special, but deemed so.

Herein lies the difference between the songs of the world and the songs of God’s people: Though the musical sounds are largely (and arguably) the same, it is the content of the lyric that literally makes all the difference. Many fail to realize is that every song is a sermon. Every song lyric is “celebrating” something valued by the writer.

If we listen, not just to the holiday sounds of music, but to the holiday sermons those lyrics preach, we can (and should) think biblically, with God’s opinion, about the message and whether we should continue listening or not.

So, consider three suggestions as you listen to music, not only this holiday season, but all the time:

1. Listen Actively
   Don’t just let the music go in one ear and out the other. Think about what you’re hearing and find the message and intent of the author’s lyric. You are likely being more influenced by the lyric than you may think. If you’re listening to the “music,” you’re listening to the lyric too!
2. Listen Theologically
   God means for all of us to be theologians, always asking, How does this relate to God? What does this message say about God? Is God being celebrated? If not, what is, and should I give my hearty approval and/or celebrate, too?
3. Listen Biblically
   The Bible is our only infallible guide—not the culture—and must be the primary filter we use for discerning whether or not the musical messages we hear are in line with God’s truth. If they’re not, should we be listening (regularly) to them?

As Christians, we should celebrate Christmas as the true and literal coming of Jesus Christ “to town.” No myths, no legends, no mere stories—the Truth in the flesh. What a joy to be able to sing songs of celebration to the one true God who sent his true Son to save his true people from their real and awful sins.

So, let’s celebrate together the Truth of Jesus and the salvation that he alone can bring this Advent Season!

K. Jason French
Minister for Worship & Music, South Campus