Signposts on the Eurasian Road #9 Hans Växby

Signposts on the Eurasian Road #9 Hans Växby

Music

Music is a bridge between the visible and the invisible, and makes us experience many things we cannot explain. Music is a gift from God, and it is no surprise that it plays an important role in the worship service.

The music style, however, varies a lot from time to time, from culture to culture and from individual to individual. Music we dislike or don’t understand does not function as a bridge. The music that a congregation chooses to use gives us a hint of the music taste of the pastor and the members.

It is good if the present churchgoers like the music in our worship service, but it is not enough. A church that wants to grow also needs to ask, “What kind of music would the new people we would like to see in our church like?” It would be important to avoid music that could turn visitors off, and find the “bridge music” that conveys God’s presence to the people we want to reach.
We do not always have skilled musicians in our churches, but also the most simple music – for example performed with three accords on the guitar or a preprogrammed synthesizer – can work as a bridge to the heart. It only has to be done with a serious intent and the very best we can.

Hans Växby