"A Crippling Fear"

Well, it has been a while since my last post, but I have really been struggling with how to say what it is I have to say. As you read the following, I pray that you read it in the spirit which it was written.

I am well aware that the Bible tells us that we should have a healthy fear of our Lord God. The question I guess that has been plaguing me is, “Is it possible to be so afraid of God that it actually keeps you from experiencing God in the greatest possible ways?”

For years, the two passages I have most often heard recited to me to support the view of a cappella worship only have been the following:

19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Eph 5:19-20 (NIV)

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Col 3:16 (NIV)

I have really tried to wrap these two passages around my heart and mind for some time, but the more I read them and think on them, the more I come to believe that they are the furthest thing from proof texts for the a cappella only view. Let me make something very, very clear. I love a cappella worship, and some of my fondest and most meaningful worship experiences have come while worshipping without instruments. However, at the same time, I do not at all believe that a cappella is the only form of worship that is acceptable to God, nor do I approve of any who condemn others for worshiping with instruments.

I do not believe that either of the passages above is dealing with how a church should or should not conduct themselves in their praise and worship. So, to say that these verses support a cappella worship, and at the same time, condemn instrumental worship is a complete and irresponsible misuse of the text. Both are in the context of relationship. Paul is not instructing us on how or how not to sing to God, he is instructing us on how we should speak to one another, teach one another, and live with one another!

I am still looking, but I have not yet been able to find a Scripture that very explicitly condemns the use of instrumental praise and worship. I am also aware that there is not a Scripture in the New Testament that explicitly states that you can worship the Lord with instrumental music. But I have been able to find many passages in the Old Testament that inform us that God’s people worshipped him the instrumental music.

This now brings me to some thoughts and a question. My thoughts: God did accept worship with instruments in the Old Testament. Many of the psalms were written to the tune of instruments. Then when we get to the New Testament there never really is a clear position on worship with our without instruments. My question: If God accepted it in the Old Testament, but then decided after Christ that it was irreverent and unacceptable, why did he not provide some clear, concise instruction on how we should worship him (whether in the teachings of Jesus or the inspire writings of others)? Maybe someone can help me with this.

I understand the desire to avoid instrumental worship because the Scriptures never openly say that you “can” use instruments in worship. What I do not understand is how and why the use of instruments in worship has become a salvation issue. Many have said, quite harshly and confidently, that if you use instruments in worship you will lose your salvation. How does anyone get that from the Scriptures? Maybe someone can help me with this one too.

Do we lean so heavily on the view that God is this Almighty Judge that we are afraid to “experiment” with the grey areas for fear that God will crush us with his hands of justice? There were times that God’s justice and God’s wrath were necessary, but in all of those cases, God’s children had turned their backs on him and had begun worshipping idols and others gods. Should any of us be judging the hearts of those worshipping with instruments? What if this is their way to connect with God and use the talents he has given them to his glory? I said before that it is healthy to fear God in many respects. Is it possible to fear God to the extent that your fear is crippling you from experiencing God in new and powerful ways? I do not believe that God is going to dismiss sincere men and women of the faith on judgment day because they used instruments in their worship.

I prefer to see God as the All-Forgiving Father. That is the picture of God I believe Scripture paints clearly for us. I do not believe his forgiveness is a license to sin, but I do believe there is “grace” in areas where there is not much clarity given in Scripture. Just notice how many times God forgave his people for their selfishness. I have worshipped in churches that are instrumental. I have watched the lead singers, members of the band, and the other members of the church, and I have been impressed with the conviction and heart with which they praise God. I understand there is a risk when using instruments of becoming more concerned about the “show” than you are about the worship. But I truly believe similar risks are involved even in a cappella worship.

Please understand that I worship in a church that practices a cappella worship, and I enjoy the worship. I am not, however, willing to jump on the band wagon that condemns other brothers and sisters in the faith for worshipping with instruments. I just don’t understand how some have come to make this an issue of ones salvation when I see no evidence in the Scriptures that supports such a claim. I pray that one day we can all move past this “issue” and focus on those around us that still have not yet met the risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.