Ridgell's Originals

There are a few more issues I have heard on the instrumental music question that I want to address. I often hear that instrumental music leads to a "concert" environment or a performance show. Don't we have praise teams that have the same problem if not careful? For that matter, I can vividly remember song leaders over the years who really seemed to make worship all about them. Come to think about it...don't lots of preachers turn their time into a performance. I am really not sure instruments would create anything new on that issue.

You can't make any arguement from the silence of Scripture. I hear this from those who just can't believe someone would use this as a reason to be non-instrumental. Be careful of blanket statements. After all, the writer of Hebrews uses the silence of Scripture to argue the Melchizedek priesthood of Jesus.

I really get nervous about the "we won't do anything not authorized in Scripture" arguement. Where is the Scripture for buildings? Or budgets? But we want to be just like the church in the New Testament. Do we really think that any first century Christian would think our services are like what he was used to? They would really have a hard time figuring out the Lord's Supper, much less our worship style.

You should not introduce any mechanical form of worship, like instruments. I always wondered about pitch pipes. Aren't they mechanical? Why couldn't a guiter or organ cue the pitch? But pitch pipes are just an aid to our singing. Which is what many advocates of instrumental music would say. By the way, I always led singing by ear. I just couldn't get the whole pitch pipe thing.

Instrumental worship would let more people use their gifts in worship. So do we all bring our guitars, or drums, or tubas to worship so we can all use our gifts? Why not let the carpenter express his gifts in worship? Or the athlete? Is our assembly together really about using our gifts? What about the people who can't play an insturment? Obviously it lets more people be involved in more ways. Is that the goal of worship?

Yes, participatory worship is the key to invovle and reach people in a post modern world. Then I would suggest instrumental worship has nothing to do with that. In terms of participatory worship it is more of the same old thing. If anything, it lets more people lead in worship while the rest of the assemble become more of an audience. That may even be a step back.

Some of these arguements are extreme, some are not well thought out, some are grasping at straws, and some are inconsistent.

So what do I do about instrumental worship? It seems I mostly poke holes in the arguemetns on both sides. Maybe I'm just contrary. Read my next post. Till then, feel free to comment.