“There is a time and a place for sacred music, and there is a time and a place for secular music.” This was part of an answer I gave to a gentleman who had contacted me wondering if and when it is ever appropriate for churches to play secular music.
This might be a mute question since many churches have been for some time opting to play secular music at the beginning of their worship services in the hopes of making unchurched newcomers comfortable and welcome. While this seems culturally sensitive, there is the danger of it backfiring in that many unchurched newcomers come to the church to seek a different approach to life and their problems. Thus, hearing pop or country music may just do the opposite of being attractive. It may be more of a distraction to those seeking a distinction between the hope-filled church and our chaotic world.
What is considered secular music?
According to study.com, “Secular music, broadly speaking, is any music that is not religious in nature. The term ‘secular’ comes from the Latin word saeculum, and this was used in the early Christian church to mean ‘the world,’ as opposed to ‘the Church.’ A secular music definition, therefore, is music that is concerned with affairs of the world rather than affairs of the spirit or religion.”
Conversely, sacred (which means “holy”) music is music that was (and is) specifically composed for the celebration of divine worship and for certain sacred occasions. Worship music—whether traditional hymns or contemporary songs—is meant to inspire “reverence and awe,” according to Hebrews 12:28.
The Theology of Music
The Bible records nearly 200 songs, the first of which can be found in the Old Testament when the Israelites—estimated to be around two million strong—were led out of Egypt by Moses and crossed the divinely parted Red Sea. The peoples’ response upon deliverance was to immediately burst into song, known as The Song of Moses (Exodus 15:1-21).
While it hadn’t been penned yet, the Israelites were already practicing Psalm 111:1, “Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.”
John Calvin says, “Now among the other things which are proper for recreating man and giving him pleasure, music is either the first, or one of the principals; and it is necessary for us to think that it is a gift of God deputed for that use. Moreover, because of this, we ought to be the more careful not to abuse it, for fear of soiling and contaminating it, converting [it to] our condemnation, where it was dedicated to our profit and use.”
That said, worship music must adhere to certain biblical guidelines:
1. Worship music must glorify God.
A casual reading of Psalm 96:1-2—“Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.”—shows us that God longs to hear our voices raised in song to Him, whether individually and collectively. Singing blesses God, glorifies Him, and proclaims His great salvation.
Calvin concurs. “What is there now to do? It is to have songs not only honest, but also holy, which will be like spurs to incite us to pray to and praise God, and to meditate upon his works in order to love, fear, honor and glorify him.”
Contrarily, most secular songs—whether pop, country, heavy metal, alternative, reggae, or rap—are not God-honoring but, rather, tend to incite worship of the fallen nature of man: lust, drinking, rebellion.
Indeed, from The Song of Moses and all other songs recorded in Scripture, it is apparent that God intended music to be a means of proclaiming His excellencies. Through meaningful lyrics, we sing His praises and extol His virtues: His goodness, faithfulness, mercy, compassion, sovereignty, power, and love. Consider “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” “How Great Thou Art?” “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” and one of the most beloved hymns of all times, “Amazing Grace.” These songs, and hundreds of others, are rich with an understanding of doctrinal truths about the Godhead.
“God is worthy of our highest, purest, strongest emotions. Singing helps express and ignite them,” says Bob Kauflin. “God wants to use music, and has even designed music, to break through our apathy and hardness of heart, and to help us engage emotionally with his Word.”
2. Worship music must unify and edify believers.
“The congregation is always the primary choir…[and] a congregation’s repertoire of hymnody is often of critical importance in shaping the faith of its people,” says the Commission on Worship. In this way, singing is meant to edify and build up each person with the richness of the song’s words, which bring hope, comfort, and strength.
Worship music—regardless of what form or style it takes—also unites believers as one body under the headship of Jesus Christ, as brothers and sisters in a spiritual family. Singing corporately creates like-mindedness through lyrics that affirm our shared belief in and love for God.
Says Kauflin, “Once we were not a people, but now we are the people of God, and our singing together, every voice contributing, is one way we express that truth.”
Singing is also a form of spiritual communication among believers, according to Ephesians 5:19, as we “speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.”
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/James Coleman
3. Worship music must teach theology.
Worship songs, particularly traditional hymns, are a succinct and compact means of teaching the Gospel, theology, and doctrine. In fact, their lyrics, coupled with pleasing melodies, make our faith memorable, maybe even more so than sermons. For some, worship songs are their first experience of learning theology.
It is also through worship songs that we learn about our true nature and character as fallen/redeemed children of God. “Amazing Grace” beautifully highlights our sinful nature while reminding us of God’s greater grace to redeem it. “Peace Like a River” teaches us that our sin-weary soul’s well-being is found only in God’s quenching sustenance.
4. Worship music must set us apart.
Just as we are called to be holy in our conduct, as set apart from a corrupt world, so should our worship music. Like our conduct, our music must be distinct from the world. Our songs should declare who we are as forgiven children and declare to whom we belong. If we played pop or country music on Sunday mornings, how would unbelieving newcomers see us as different, as holy and separate from the world? Most likely they wouldn’t.
Joshua Dunn says, “Despite the genuine good these [secular] songs might do for lost people seeking to enter the church, the spiritual threat is far greater than the potential reward. Though culture can often prove helpful in shaping the way we worship, we should never let conformity to culture compromise our witness.”
When it is appropriate to play secular music in church
1. Outreach events
Many churches invite outside musical groups to perform for a variety of reasons. One reason may be as an evangelistic outreach event to their community. With the approval of the church leaders, these groups may find that they’re able to draw and connect with their audience better through a few appropriate secular songs.
Discernment is the key when it comes to song selection, of course. The lyrics, even though secular, should still uphold Biblical standards, such as love, unity, and peace.
“It doesn’t matter if the song is fun to play or a great crowd-pleaser. We have a greater mandate than to allow our music to slide to indecency and moral decay,” says worship leader Kenneth Lamm.
2. Special Occasions
Christmas comes to mind when I think of when it might be appropriate to sing secular songs in church. Many traditional Christmas songs, of course, are welcome in churches: “O Come All Ye Faithful,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear,” and others like them.
But what about those catchy songs like “Jingle Bells,” which children love to sing? Would they be appropriate for Children’s Sunday School? Their lyrics, after all, are benign and unoffensive, and there doesn’t seem to be any real reason why they can’t be sung. They are still part of why we celebrate the joy of the season (and reason) of Christ’s birth, if not directly.
Easter is another occasion when secular music might be appropriate. The church I attend holds a special Maundy Thursday service every year. They hire local professional musicians for this service, and they play several classical songs, one of which is Gabriel’s Oboe. It is my favorite, and it never fails to have a visceral effect on me. My throat constricts, and my eyes tear up the minute I hear the first mournful notes. My thoughts immediately go to Christ’s crucifixion.
Still, other occasions when appropriate secular music might be played include wedding ceremonies and memorial services.
In each of these situations, secular music can still impart joy, love, and solemnity while still directing our thoughts and hearts toward God and His excellencies.
Conclusion
When it comes to song selection by worship leaders—whether sacred or secular—the lyrics, of course, should be of utmost consideration, particularly for how they will move the minds and affections of the people toward God.
“The greater portion of our lyrical diet should be the objective truths we’re responding to: God’s Word, his character, and his works, especially his work of sending his Son to be our atoning sacrifice. That means the lyrics to our songs should reflect the broad themes of Scripture and not simply the themes we’re fond of,” says Bob Kauflin.
Photo Credit: ©Akira Hojo/Unsplash
Denise is a former newspaper reporter and current freelance writer. She has been published in numerous online and print publications. She is also a former Women's Bible Study teacher. Denise's passion is to use her writing to bless, encourage, and inform others. She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and two children (another has grown and flown). You can find Denise at denisekohlmeyer.com.