It is no secret that we live in a world of noise, constant noise that prevents silence or a single voice from intruding. Some of it is beyond our control. The sirens in the day and night, the sounds of engines roaring or brakes squealing, the ordinary background of work and pleasure that fills the neighborhood and the city happen without our consent or our desire. Some of it is within our control. The TV or radio or sound tracks that we turn on to prevent us from being alone or being forced to endure silence have become automatic. Even Church is not without its noise. Again, some is forced upon us with screaming babies and footsteps on the floor and conversations hushed or loud and phones that seem intent upon being noticed in the very place where they should not be.
Sometimes it might seem downright rude to intrude upon the silence even further with so many words spoken, notes played, and words sung. Why can't we simply live in silence at least, as Jesus said to Peter, for an hour or so? But I would suggest that the songs of faith that we lift in liturgy, hymn, chant, and choral works are not noise at all. They are, I would posit, the most glorious sound of all. There is nothing that fills the ear and the spaces of our lives like the sound of voices in chant and song, hymn and choral voice. Not everyone of us is into music like I am but even those who do not consider themselves singers can hardly label the sounds of sacred music in worship as noise.
As Lutherans, sacred music is not a competitor with the liturgy but an essential part of it all. It is a formal component of liturgy and there is not much I can say about a completely spoken liturgy without benefit of hymn or chant or instrumental music. In a world too filled with noise, sacred song has the power to lift our hearts and souls to heaven. The ministers of music are true stewards of the holy art of music and song in sacred form and they help all the people of God to “sing and make melody to the Lord with all of the heart” (Eph 5:19) One of the really sad things that has taken place is the ‘downgrading’ of sacred music and the replacement of the sacred music with contemporary songs that form a playlist of preferences instead of the wonderful song that joined all voices into one before the Lord.
Microphones and canned music may be considered necessary to us today but they can be simply sources of noise in worship rather than enhancers of the sacred songs of liturgy and hymnody. The architecture of the churches once worked to make such electronic agents unnecessary but I fear today they only make these artificial noisemakers more necessary. I well remember moments in which the sounds of sacred song filled the spaces.
4 comments:
The old saying, “Silence is Golden” still remains true. I have found that turning off the TV, radio, computer, and smartphone for a specified time during the day or evening regularly is a good practice. Like you said, one must escape from the noise of the world in order to retain one’s sense of peace. There is nothing more enjoyable than reading quietly in a den or study, or even at the kitchen table, or wherever this takes place. Our Lord withdrew from the demands of the crowds from time to time, to pray, to find peace, and this is a good example for us. But we cannot be hermits either, as the world we inhabit is where we participate and where lost people live. As for church music, and sacred music, I have found LCMS churches I attended in the past, and others, have incorporated the old hymns as well as some tasteful contemporary Christian music in worship services. The world will always be noisy, because it is the sound of life. Who can change it? But as the hymn goes, “There is a place, a quiet place, near to the heart of God.”
Soli Deo Gloria
I apologize, as I misquoted the hymn earlier. The hymn I had in mind is “Near to the heart of God,” by Cleland B. McAfee (1903), and the first two verses are: “There is a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God, a place where sin cannot molest, near to the heart of God. There is a place of comfort sweet, near to the heart of God, a place where we our Savior meet, near to the heart of God.” I think that we all need to go to that place earnestly and regularly, not only in times of joy, sadness, grief, or melancholy, but to remove ourselves from the world of noise and distractions which often distress our souls.
Soli Deo Gloria
Mr. Flanagan, I wish we believed the same things. The hymn you quote has never, nor will ever appear in any Lutheran hymnal. That should not be a surprise. The hymn doesn't confess anything. The Bible knows nothing of this concept or language of "we our Savior meet, near to the heart of God." That is strange talk. Look at the hymns lyrics. That's why Lutherans, historical Christians would not sing it. I don't know what it means, I don't know what it teaches. I am not sure where or what "near to the heart of God" is? It's meaningless, sentimental babble. Sorry. I feel sorry for any Christian who would sing such a thing.
Rev Weinkauf, the hymn was written by a Presbyterian Pastor, and he was indeed engaging in heartfelt “sentimental babble” crying out in despair to the Lord upon hearing of the untimely death of two nieces. But I suppose anything written by anyone else, and not found in your Lutheran hymnal, is something you instinctively avoid.
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