"Secular" Music in Church - Part 3

I think we all need to think through our philosophy regarding the distinction between the sacred and the secular? One story and one quote that shed some light on mine.

  • In Your Work Matters to God, Doug Sherman talks about a Bible professor who asked him if he planned on going into full-time ministry when he finished his studies. Sherman answered something like this, “Yes. All Christians are in full-time ministry. The question is whether or not it is vocational full-time ministry.”
  • Martin Luther: “Your work is a very sacred matter, God delights in it, and through it He wants to bestow His blessings on you.  This praise of work should be inscribed on all tools, on the forehead and the faces that sweat from toiling.”

"Secular" Music in Church - Part 2

Here are some questions to ponder if the use of “secular” music in a church service bothers you:

  • Do you listen to “secular” music in your car or in your home?
  • Is the church building or the service time more sacred space and time than your home or your car?
  • Does it bother you to listen to a classical piece of music created by someone who lived an immoral life?
  • Are you being consistent?
  • Do you share our missional perspective?
  • Do you care how my fantasy football team is doing?