“In the beginning…”
It is a most interesting mental exercise to try to establish the origins of many of our long accepted habits, desires, beliefs, and traditions. However, an area that will puzzle each one of you is the origin of music. We do not know where it began, or if it began at all. Perhaps we would find that music was born into the soul of Adam. The closest that we can come to the beginning of music is the very terse statement in Genesis 4:21 concerning Jubal, one of the sons of Cain five generations removed. Of him it is said, “he was the father of all such who handle the harp and pipe” (also translated “flute” or “organ”). It is interesting to notice that he was a son of the boastful and godless Lamech. Music with instrumental accompaniment thus arose from the world, and not out of the Church.
It seems that in every person’s being, some type of music holds a very dear place. The reason is obvious, Music appeals to and helps to express the emotions and feelings that so often elude verbal expression. Music involves the total person, and prompts such reactions as ecstasy, comfort, anticipation, and inspiration. Since music is so much a part of human nature, one would reason that it must not have taken long for it to become a part of man’s worship-response to God. And I’m sure that ever since it attained that position, there has been conflict of opinion concerning the place and prominence of music in the worship of God. That it was used in the worship of God is obvious from the many Psalms of praise. In fact, Psalm 150 lists many instruments to be used in praise, which if put together, would form a small orchestra. A hymn concluded the Passover before our Lord’s journey to the garden of Gethsemane. Music has had a prominent place in worship, and continues to have that place yet today.
The history of church music shows that the problems connected with this volatile issue have not been a source of contention for only the past century. Already in the 4th century, Augustine had serious misgivings about music. He grants that one is more ardently moved by holy words if they are sung rather than simply spoken, but he also realizes the danger of listening and enjoying the music and not paying attention to the message of the text. Then he makes this statement:
“Nevertheless, when it happens that I am more moved by the song than the thing which is sung, I confess that I sin in a manner deserving punishment, and then I would rather not hear the singing.” Confessions of St. Augustine
We would do well to examine our own thoughts in the same light. If the music is so glorious that it transports the worshipper to joyous heights, or so perverted that it arouses hostilities (no matter what kind of music you like or dislike, one of these is true), how many of us would consider it a sin if our minds stopped with the musical sounds, rather than cutting through to the words borne by the music?
Gradually, the music in the church began to move away from the people, and into the domain of the professional performer, only. This led to a type of music which could only be sung by trained musicians, and probably could be understood by only them, as well. This was part of a total movement away from “lay-participation” in worship.
The Reformation is a period of strong reaction. First was a period of over-reaction to the point of virtually removing music from the service. This era gives us the young Zwingli as probably the outstanding example. However, through a period of illness with the plague, and a series of very discouraging events in his work, his thinking was mellowed to the point that he included hymns to be sung by the congregation in his service. Later, he even wrote a few hymns, himself. Luther is well known for his beautiful hymns, and his most familiar “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” is a monument of the Reformation. Calvin’s Genevan Psalter, while not well known, popularly, is an equally great testimony to the presence and use of music in the worship of Cod. Calvin, in the introduction to the Psalter states, “and in truth we know by experience, that song has great force and vigor to enflame the hearts of men to invoke and praise God with a more vehement zeal.” This statement clearly indicates that we can have all the “head knowledge” about our spiritual convictions that is possible, but they are not really our convictions until it becomes a part of the heart Music is a primary vehicle for accomplishing this goal. Calvin also states, “after the acquiring of intelligence (about our faith) must follow the heart and affection, which cannot be unless we have the hymn imprinted upon our memory in order never to cease singing.”
Since the Reformation, music has entered the church service in many forms, and not always because it had a place in worship. Two glaring examples of this are the prelude and postlude to the worship service. This custom originated in the sixteenth century. The calvinistic consistories wanted no solo organ music, but because the church was the property of the city, they could not remove the organs from the premises. Since the city councils realized the value of the beautiful organs in these churches, they would appoint recitalists to play frequent recitals. One of the most convenient recital times was Sunday morning, before and after the service. During these recitals, the people could come and go as they pleased. Tn the seventeenth century, sensitive worshippers objected to the secular nature of the recitals, and therefore requested psalms and hymns: and, as long as the organist was there anyway, why not have organ support for the congregational singing? The calvinistic consistories grudgingly conceded, and began to accept the organ as a fitting musical instrument for church use. Isn’t it sad to realize that the purpose of the prelude and postlude has not changed for these many centuries? They still serve as music for people to “walk-in-and-walk-out-by.” Present studies in liturgy have challenged some of these habits, but have not succeeded in overthrowing them because of their traditional, and therefore, inviolable acceptance. Only when concerned and discerning members of congregations insist that all music in church carry forward and intensify worship, will prelude and postlude become events that arc liturgically significant.
Any study into the place of music in the worship service must begin with a clear understanding of the meaning of “worship.” There is no unanimity on this matter, even though the study of liturgies has clarified the matter greatly.
There are basically three ways in which to view worship. Each of them might be compared to a drama. In the first, a worship service is cast as follows: The congregation is the audience, the minister, choir, and organist are the actors, and God is the director. This view of the worship service is perhaps the most popular conception among the people, since they feel free to complain about the failure of the minister to entertain them, or the choir and organist to comfort them.
In the second view, the casting is very different. Now, the members of the congregation become the actors, the minister, choir and organist are the directors, and God is the audience. This is a much better view of worship, for it portrays the offering of praise unto the Lord by the people, they being helped and supported by the directors (minister, choir, and organist). There is a new relationship which is created—a vertical feeling from man to God.
There is still an element lacking in the second view which is supplied in this final one. This view can be seen along the lines of the new modern plays in which there is not only the directors and actors, but also active participation by the audience. The word that is used in the theater is “involvement,” and it is also a key principle in our worship. This picture of worship fits the action that should occur in the service the best. The people approach God in giving praise and adoration, and at the same time God “involves” himself through the Word, both spoken and musical, with instruction and edification. In this total drama, there is the personal involvement of every person in the vertical Cod-man, man-God relationship. This is the key, the central fact of worship, and everything must serve this purpose or be irrelevant, and even detrimental to worship.
Let it be very clear that we are talking about worship, and not the total scope of the Christian life. There are parts of our Christian lives that surround the experience of worship, which actually are not the essence of worship. One of these is the matter of fellowship. Fellowship occurs when we gather together for worship, and the church may even be defined as the “gathered together ones;” but worship takes place in the vertical dimension, not the horizontal. Out of the experience of the love of God gained in the vertical relationship, comes the horizontal love we express in fellowship. Fellowship must surround the worship, but it is not the essence of worship.
A second closely related factor is the joy in our salvation. Please notice that this has a very definite part in the vertical relationship with God and in this sense it is most certainly worship, but in the area of praise and thanksgiving only. When this joy has as its primary objective, a witness of our salvation to others, it falls into the category of relating to our fellow man (horizontal), and is therefore a type of fellowship, not worship. Also those songs which, by way of musical accent and text, put the emphasis on the lower end of the vertical man-God relationship, do not belong in worship (“He Keeps Me Singing,” “Love Lifted Me,” “I Am Coming Home,” “’I’m in Love with the Lover of My Soul”). These thoughts smack of the “me-emphasis” that the pharisee had as he prayed in the temple. Our worship must emphasize the GLORY OF GOD!
It is upon this concept of worship that we can build the place of music in worship. We will begin with the negative side of the definition. If the center of worship is the vertical relationship between God and man, then the music in the church should be aimed at that purpose, and nothing else. Thus, we can say that the music in the church must never be simply background music. In the average congregation, there is a large amount of music which is used in this meaningless way. The last line of the hymn is repeated after the congregation has finished singing to cover up the noise of the people sitting down. There is some soft music which is played while the deacons come forward before the offertory prayer. Each of these practices has entered the service because of the desire to smooth it out. The music has no purpose here, and by its use in this manner, has cast an image upon all of the music in the church. The effect has been to emasculate music of its positive function in worship—to bring people to God. The demand upon the organists and choir directors is to produce soothing music, not too loud, so that it can be ignored by the people as they “meditate.” If the truth were known, the majority of the people are letting their minds wander to thoughts that do not even vaguely resemble worshipful meditation. Perhaps what is really needed is what the people do not want; music that cannot be ignored, loud enough to direct their minds to their Maker! Early Copes in his essay, “Twentieth Century Church Music” states: “Music is not only to comfort the afflicted, but to afflict the comforted.” Possibly the music must serve as a means to jar us out of our lethargy.
The second thing that music must not be is a prideful attraction. It is not a place for the organist or the choir to give a performance for the people. The music is not to be calculated to impress the visitors with the caliber of musical taste and ability of the musicians. This type of spirit may spread through a congregation until the music is the showcase of the church. In some communities, this becomes an area of competition. Needless to say, this is entirely foreign to the worship service, and can serve to be an effective “Devil’s playground.”
The third negative comment concerning music is that it is not a mere emotional release. This is a difficult matter because music deals with the emotions, even hidden ones. The place of music in the church does encounter the emotions, but it goes beyond. Worship is an involvement of the whole man in the vertical relationship. This means not only the emotions, but also the mind and the will. The emotions are an unthinking, basically undirected part of man. They need the guidance of the mind to cause a decision of the will. This is where the quality of church music becomes of paramount importance. Not only music, but also text must be of the best quality possible. Anyone can be stirred by music, but the teaching content of the words will determine whether the person is brought before his God, or left to swim in his own pool of self-satisfaction over “enjoying” the music.
From what has been said already, the positive picture of the place of music in the worship service begins to appear. Positively, the music must be a leading force in the worship. Anything less than this amounts to entertainment. Elton Trueblood, in his book, The Incendiary Fellowship, likens the modern pastor to a player coach. He is there encouraging the team, but he is participating as well. If this is true of the pastor, how much more true is it of the choir and the organist! They are participating with the congregation as fellow members, encouraging one another to see the glory of God.
In order to fill such a large task, and such an important task, it i~ necessary that the emphasis must be upon the Word. The message of the music is more important than the musical score, although quality of message and music have a habit of being found together. The hymnody of the church must be a sound one—one that accomplishes the purpose of worship, and teaches the truths of Scripture. When this is present, music is a powerful force in the church.
This points out the importance of not only the organist and choir director, but also the pastor in the use of music in the church. A habit that is quickly formed is one of choosing only a selected few of the hymns: those that the congregation sings well. In doing this, the testimony of music to the hearts of the people is very limited. Most pastors would consider it a serious fault if they would preach only from the New Testament, and yet, they are doing a comparable thing in their choice of hymns. A solution for this problem might be to pick a hymn of the month—one which is unfamiliar. The organist could use it several times, the choir might sing it early in the month, and the congregation would be singing it several times in that month. If each month a new hymn or psalm tune could be added to the singing repertoire of the congregation, what an accomplishment that would be! Let us not degrade the person in the pew to such an extent that we think him unteachable.
The organist has a very responsible position in the worship service. She should be intensely aware of the importance of her execution of the hymns for congregational singing. If the playing of the hymn for singing is uncertain, and filled with mistakes, the focus and joy of singing the message is lost. Congregational singing is the heart of the music in worship. The hymns must be practiced and completely mastered before feeling adequately prepared for a service. If there must he a prelude and postlude, they should be of such a type as to carry forward the theme of the message, or the season of the liturgical year; and it should be obvious that the pastor be willing to cooperate with the organists in providing sermon topics and hymn numbers early enough to provide opportunity to unify the Word and music in the service.
The place of the choir in worship is an ambivalent one. On the one hand, it shares the place of the congregation, and on the other it can take part in the pronouncement of the Word in song. One of the things that is seldom done in a choir rehearsal, and yet one of the things that is very important, is to practice the hymns that will be sung in the service. The choir serves a positive function in worship as it provides leadership for the other members of the congregation. Here it leads the people while singing with them. It should be made clear that the choir does not sing in the place of the congregation. This would be a repetition of the error of Home before the Reformation. The choir leads the congregation by assisting in hymn singing, and by way of a proclamation of the Word to the people in a musical form, so that all might come to personal praise and adoration of God.
The choir then serves as a mouthpiece of God, singing the words of Scripture. The choir anthem is not a “break” for special music, which is merely another word for entertainment. The choir anthem must be a presentation of the Word unto the people. No other reason can justify its intrusion into the worship service. Thus, when it does speak the Word, either linked with Scripture and the message, or the message of the season of the year, it becomes another way in which the people are blessed and are led to the God whom they serve.
The music of the church in Worship is a meaningful music, and it is a directed music. Its meaning and direction come from its allegiance to God’s Word, and when it has this allegiance, it aids and strengthens worship.
Mrs. Wenda De Vries is the wife of Rev. James De Vries, pastor of the Haven Christian Reformed Church, Zeeland.
It is a most interesting mental exercise to try to establish the origins of many of our long accepted habits, desires, beliefs, and traditions. However, an area that will puzzle each one of you is the origin of music. We do not know where it began, or if it began at all. Perhaps we would find that music was born into the soul of Adam. The closest that we can come to the beginning of music is the very terse statement in Genesis 4:21 concerning Jubal, one of the sons of Cain five generations removed. Of him it is said, “he was the father of all such who handle the harp and pipe” (also translated “flute” or “organ”). It is interesting to notice that he was a son of the boastful and godless Lamech. Music with instrumental accompaniment thus arose from the world, and not out of the Church.
It seems that in every person’s being, some type of music holds a very dear place. The reason is obvious, Music appeals to and helps to express the emotions and feelings that so often elude verbal expression. Music involves the total person, and prompts such reactions as ecstasy, comfort, anticipation, and inspiration. Since music is so much a part of human nature, one would reason that it must not have taken long for it to become a part of man’s worship-response to God. And I’m sure that ever since it attained that position, there has been conflict of opinion concerning the place and prominence of music in the worship of God. That it was used in the worship of God is obvious from the many Psalms of praise. In fact, Psalm 150 lists many instruments to be used in praise, which if put together, would form a small orchestra. A hymn concluded the Passover before our Lord’s journey to the garden of Gethsemane. Music has had a prominent place in worship, and continues to have that place yet today.
The history of church music shows that the problems connected with this volatile issue have not been a source of contention for only the past century. Already in the 4th century, Augustine had serious misgivings about music. He grants that one is more ardently moved by holy words if they are sung rather than simply spoken, but he also realizes the danger of listening and enjoying the music and not paying attention to the message of the text. Then he makes this statement:
“Nevertheless, when it happens that I am more moved by the song than the thing which is sung, I confess that I sin in a manner deserving punishment, and then I would rather not hear the singing.” Confessions of St. Augustine
We would do well to examine our own thoughts in the same light. If the music is so glorious that it transports the worshipper to joyous heights, or so perverted that it arouses hostilities (no matter what kind of music you like or dislike, one of these is true), how many of us would consider it a sin if our minds stopped with the musical sounds, rather than cutting through to the words borne by the music?
Gradually, the music in the church began to move away from the people, and into the domain of the professional performer, only. This led to a type of music which could only be sung by trained musicians, and probably could be understood by only them, as well. This was part of a total movement away from “lay-participation” in worship.
The Reformation is a period of strong reaction. First was a period of over-reaction to the point of virtually removing music from the service. This era gives us the young Zwingli as probably the outstanding example. However, through a period of illness with the plague, and a series of very discouraging events in his work, his thinking was mellowed to the point that he included hymns to be sung by the congregation in his service. Later, he even wrote a few hymns, himself. Luther is well known for his beautiful hymns, and his most familiar “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” is a monument of the Reformation. Calvin’s Genevan Psalter, while not well known, popularly, is an equally great testimony to the presence and use of music in the worship of Cod. Calvin, in the introduction to the Psalter states, “and in truth we know by experience, that song has great force and vigor to enflame the hearts of men to invoke and praise God with a more vehement zeal.” This statement clearly indicates that we can have all the “head knowledge” about our spiritual convictions that is possible, but they are not really our convictions until it becomes a part of the heart Music is a primary vehicle for accomplishing this goal. Calvin also states, “after the acquiring of intelligence (about our faith) must follow the heart and affection, which cannot be unless we have the hymn imprinted upon our memory in order never to cease singing.”
Since the Reformation, music has entered the church service in many forms, and not always because it had a place in worship. Two glaring examples of this are the prelude and postlude to the worship service. This custom originated in the sixteenth century. The calvinistic consistories wanted no solo organ music, but because the church was the property of the city, they could not remove the organs from the premises. Since the city councils realized the value of the beautiful organs in these churches, they would appoint recitalists to play frequent recitals. One of the most convenient recital times was Sunday morning, before and after the service. During these recitals, the people could come and go as they pleased. Tn the seventeenth century, sensitive worshippers objected to the secular nature of the recitals, and therefore requested psalms and hymns: and, as long as the organist was there anyway, why not have organ support for the congregational singing? The calvinistic consistories grudgingly conceded, and began to accept the organ as a fitting musical instrument for church use. Isn’t it sad to realize that the purpose of the prelude and postlude has not changed for these many centuries? They still serve as music for people to “walk-in-and-walk-out-by.” Present studies in liturgy have challenged some of these habits, but have not succeeded in overthrowing them because of their traditional, and therefore, inviolable acceptance. Only when concerned and discerning members of congregations insist that all music in church carry forward and intensify worship, will prelude and postlude become events that arc liturgically significant.
Any study into the place of music in the worship service must begin with a clear understanding of the meaning of “worship.” There is no unanimity on this matter, even though the study of liturgies has clarified the matter greatly.
There are basically three ways in which to view worship. Each of them might be compared to a drama. In the first, a worship service is cast as follows: The congregation is the audience, the minister, choir, and organist are the actors, and God is the director. This view of the worship service is perhaps the most popular conception among the people, since they feel free to complain about the failure of the minister to entertain them, or the choir and organist to comfort them.
In the second view, the casting is very different. Now, the members of the congregation become the actors, the minister, choir and organist are the directors, and God is the audience. This is a much better view of worship, for it portrays the offering of praise unto the Lord by the people, they being helped and supported by the directors (minister, choir, and organist). There is a new relationship which is created—a vertical feeling from man to God.
There is still an element lacking in the second view which is supplied in this final one. This view can be seen along the lines of the new modern plays in which there is not only the directors and actors, but also active participation by the audience. The word that is used in the theater is “involvement,” and it is also a key principle in our worship. This picture of worship fits the action that should occur in the service the best. The people approach God in giving praise and adoration, and at the same time God “involves” himself through the Word, both spoken and musical, with instruction and edification. In this total drama, there is the personal involvement of every person in the vertical Cod-man, man-God relationship. This is the key, the central fact of worship, and everything must serve this purpose or be irrelevant, and even detrimental to worship.
Let it be very clear that we are talking about worship, and not the total scope of the Christian life. There are parts of our Christian lives that surround the experience of worship, which actually are not the essence of worship. One of these is the matter of fellowship. Fellowship occurs when we gather together for worship, and the church may even be defined as the “gathered together ones;” but worship takes place in the vertical dimension, not the horizontal. Out of the experience of the love of God gained in the vertical relationship, comes the horizontal love we express in fellowship. Fellowship must surround the worship, but it is not the essence of worship.
A second closely related factor is the joy in our salvation. Please notice that this has a very definite part in the vertical relationship with God and in this sense it is most certainly worship, but in the area of praise and thanksgiving only. When this joy has as its primary objective, a witness of our salvation to others, it falls into the category of relating to our fellow man (horizontal), and is therefore a type of fellowship, not worship. Also those songs which, by way of musical accent and text, put the emphasis on the lower end of the vertical man-God relationship, do not belong in worship (“He Keeps Me Singing,” “Love Lifted Me,” “I Am Coming Home,” “’I’m in Love with the Lover of My Soul”). These thoughts smack of the “me-emphasis” that the pharisee had as he prayed in the temple. Our worship must emphasize the GLORY OF GOD!
It is upon this concept of worship that we can build the place of music in worship. We will begin with the negative side of the definition. If the center of worship is the vertical relationship between God and man, then the music in the church should be aimed at that purpose, and nothing else. Thus, we can say that the music in the church must never be simply background music. In the average congregation, there is a large amount of music which is used in this meaningless way. The last line of the hymn is repeated after the congregation has finished singing to cover up the noise of the people sitting down. There is some soft music which is played while the deacons come forward before the offertory prayer. Each of these practices has entered the service because of the desire to smooth it out. The music has no purpose here, and by its use in this manner, has cast an image upon all of the music in the church. The effect has been to emasculate music of its positive function in worship—to bring people to God. The demand upon the organists and choir directors is to produce soothing music, not too loud, so that it can be ignored by the people as they “meditate.” If the truth were known, the majority of the people are letting their minds wander to thoughts that do not even vaguely resemble worshipful meditation. Perhaps what is really needed is what the people do not want; music that cannot be ignored, loud enough to direct their minds to their Maker! Early Copes in his essay, “Twentieth Century Church Music” states: “Music is not only to comfort the afflicted, but to afflict the comforted.” Possibly the music must serve as a means to jar us out of our lethargy.
The second thing that music must not be is a prideful attraction. It is not a place for the organist or the choir to give a performance for the people. The music is not to be calculated to impress the visitors with the caliber of musical taste and ability of the musicians. This type of spirit may spread through a congregation until the music is the showcase of the church. In some communities, this becomes an area of competition. Needless to say, this is entirely foreign to the worship service, and can serve to be an effective “Devil’s playground.”
The third negative comment concerning music is that it is not a mere emotional release. This is a difficult matter because music deals with the emotions, even hidden ones. The place of music in the church does encounter the emotions, but it goes beyond. Worship is an involvement of the whole man in the vertical relationship. This means not only the emotions, but also the mind and the will. The emotions are an unthinking, basically undirected part of man. They need the guidance of the mind to cause a decision of the will. This is where the quality of church music becomes of paramount importance. Not only music, but also text must be of the best quality possible. Anyone can be stirred by music, but the teaching content of the words will determine whether the person is brought before his God, or left to swim in his own pool of self-satisfaction over “enjoying” the music.
From what has been said already, the positive picture of the place of music in the worship service begins to appear. Positively, the music must be a leading force in the worship. Anything less than this amounts to entertainment. Elton Trueblood, in his book, The Incendiary Fellowship, likens the modern pastor to a player coach. He is there encouraging the team, but he is participating as well. If this is true of the pastor, how much more true is it of the choir and the organist! They are participating with the congregation as fellow members, encouraging one another to see the glory of God.
In order to fill such a large task, and such an important task, it i~ necessary that the emphasis must be upon the Word. The message of the music is more important than the musical score, although quality of message and music have a habit of being found together. The hymnody of the church must be a sound one—one that accomplishes the purpose of worship, and teaches the truths of Scripture. When this is present, music is a powerful force in the church.
This points out the importance of not only the organist and choir director, but also the pastor in the use of music in the church. A habit that is quickly formed is one of choosing only a selected few of the hymns: those that the congregation sings well. In doing this, the testimony of music to the hearts of the people is very limited. Most pastors would consider it a serious fault if they would preach only from the New Testament, and yet, they are doing a comparable thing in their choice of hymns. A solution for this problem might be to pick a hymn of the month—one which is unfamiliar. The organist could use it several times, the choir might sing it early in the month, and the congregation would be singing it several times in that month. If each month a new hymn or psalm tune could be added to the singing repertoire of the congregation, what an accomplishment that would be! Let us not degrade the person in the pew to such an extent that we think him unteachable.
The organist has a very responsible position in the worship service. She should be intensely aware of the importance of her execution of the hymns for congregational singing. If the playing of the hymn for singing is uncertain, and filled with mistakes, the focus and joy of singing the message is lost. Congregational singing is the heart of the music in worship. The hymns must be practiced and completely mastered before feeling adequately prepared for a service. If there must he a prelude and postlude, they should be of such a type as to carry forward the theme of the message, or the season of the liturgical year; and it should be obvious that the pastor be willing to cooperate with the organists in providing sermon topics and hymn numbers early enough to provide opportunity to unify the Word and music in the service.
The place of the choir in worship is an ambivalent one. On the one hand, it shares the place of the congregation, and on the other it can take part in the pronouncement of the Word in song. One of the things that is seldom done in a choir rehearsal, and yet one of the things that is very important, is to practice the hymns that will be sung in the service. The choir serves a positive function in worship as it provides leadership for the other members of the congregation. Here it leads the people while singing with them. It should be made clear that the choir does not sing in the place of the congregation. This would be a repetition of the error of Home before the Reformation. The choir leads the congregation by assisting in hymn singing, and by way of a proclamation of the Word to the people in a musical form, so that all might come to personal praise and adoration of God.
The choir then serves as a mouthpiece of God, singing the words of Scripture. The choir anthem is not a “break” for special music, which is merely another word for entertainment. The choir anthem must be a presentation of the Word unto the people. No other reason can justify its intrusion into the worship service. Thus, when it does speak the Word, either linked with Scripture and the message, or the message of the season of the year, it becomes another way in which the people are blessed and are led to the God whom they serve.
The music of the church in Worship is a meaningful music, and it is a directed music. Its meaning and direction come from its allegiance to God’s Word, and when it has this allegiance, it aids and strengthens worship.
Mrs. Wenda De Vries is the wife of Rev. James De Vries, pastor of the Haven Christian Reformed Church, Zeeland.