Photos 4:  Portable Keyboards/Hymn Singing

"... praise Him [God] with stringed instruments and organs [pipe]."  (Ps. 150:4) KJV

NO OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

ON THE FACE OF THIS EARTH

PRAISES GOD IN HEAVEN

WITH SUCH GROUND SHAKING FORCE

AS THE PIPE ORGAN.

WE GIVE THANKS FOR ORGAN MUSIC

MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH YOU,

THE ORGANIST

Those who peruse this website may wonder about the generous space they find devoted to explaining and understanding what it means to follow God in this life, to rightly divide His Word, and to be saved by grace through faith in Christ and the work of His cross.  They may feel that all this is not inextricably tied to the mechanics of performing at the organ.

Oh.  yes.  it.  is.

Faith comes by HEARING (Rom. 10:17).

Something a person HEARS

causes their faith to rise.

THE STORY OF SALVATION,

OF BEING SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH

[AND THAT GOD KEEPS US BY GRACE]

NEEDS TELLING.

IT'S THE ORGANIST'S JOB

in worship

TO TELL IT IN MUSIC.

The whole point of salvation is that people who are saved by repentance, receiving Christ, and trusting Him in all things going forward might come into the presence of and fellowship with God robed in His righteousness -- this in order to stand before God, to be able to see the fullness of His glory blazing from His throne in the New Jerusalem in the center of the new heaven and the new earth, and to be with Him FOREVER [See menu bar, Home Page].

Scripture teaches that three deadly enemies are standing in the way of this fellowship and poised to prey upon our precious lives:  1) our own sinful human nature, 2) this world and its ways, and 3) Satan the devil.  Anyone who loves God cannot also embrace this present evil world or the things in it (1John 2:15-16).  This is because God originally created and placed this earth in the bosom of the angelic being Lucifer who started out perfect in his ways until something, brought on by pride in his own beauty, went terribly wrong in his thinking (Isa. 14:12-14).  Though he made himself into a satan [meaning "adversary, accuser"] of God he is still being allowed, for the time being, to encircle this world and rule it (John 14:30, 2Cor. 4:4, Gal. 1:4).  Knowing that God has in store an eternal sentence in a lake of fire as just punishment for him and the angels under his sway, Satan's hatred for God and His justice is implacable, incurable, and beyond human imagination or description.  He automatically hates any human being in whose heart Jesus Christ dwells.  He bitterly hates this speck of dust called a human because, with Christ indwelling, that same human soul is destined to spend eternity in heaven where he, Satan, originally came from, once upon a time.  Satan has been working nonstop from the beginning to infiltrate the thinking of other sentient beings in occult ways.  Knowing that God will not trespass upon man's free will he projects error and oversight into human societies by any means he can, injecting doubt and division among God's people, distorting the truth, promoting spirituality as a substitute for faith, and deceiving and misleading the gullible into spending their time, attention, and resources on anything but God.  Fanatically obsessed with control he misuses his genius to contradict and foment insubordination to and rebellion against God's Word, most recently with feminism, totalitarian wokeism, and cultural marxism.  This tactic of Satan's of constant lying isn't so much aimed at making people believe a specific untruth so much as ensuring that no one believes anything anymore.  He knows that a people who can no longer distinguish between truth and lies cannot distinguish between right and wrong, that such a people, deprived of the power to think and judge, is, without knowing and willing it, completely subject to the rule of lies, and that with such a people he can do whatever he wants.  This nature of his is abundantly clear, recognizable, and sadly evident in human affairs in general, and politics in particular.  He doesn't care so much about how many songs of praise Christians may sing, how many sermons they may hear, or whether they may employ musical instruments in religion as long as they don't get busy for God and do anything about it.  He isn't inclined to pay very much heed to any assemblies which express, collectively or individually, zero educational outreach with the true gospel.  Religious observance plays right into his hands; when people are asleep in religion and jamb-pack their own lives and the lives of their family with worldly diversions every free moment they have, having no regard for even giving thanks before a meal let alone for daily prayer, they're doing just what Satan wants.  As for those saved individuals who also let worldly distractions monopolize them, who never seize an opportunity to speak to others about the magnitude of God's love and His provision for justification at the cross of Christ, who take for granted the grace they've experienced in their own lives and what God has done for them,

God HATES this kind of stuff.

It's the absolute business of ALL twice born members of the body of Christ, including its musicians, to make their own individual contributions to carrying out the great commission of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:18-20) WHICH IS to teach others about the love of God and the message of the cross, the absolute authority given to Jesus in heaven and in earth, and all what He has commanded.  WHY? ... because people all over this world are dying without Him, without ever repenting of their sins [changing their mind and manner of living], without ever learning about God's grace, without ever being certain that they've received Christ, without ever being committed and surrendered to Him, without putting Him first in their lives and following and trusting Him in everything for the rest of their days ... because such people are missing their chance to learn about the only road to heaven [the cross of Christ] which a holy and just God has made for man's justification ... because those who die without being on that road, who were old enough and mentally capable enough of comprehending the true gospel during their time on this earth, but who never received Christ, who viewed the message of His cross as a common thing of their own free will and accord, who deliberately paid no heed to the magnitude of God's love and what Christ endured for them, have assigned their own souls to the same default position of permanent separation from God and one-way punishment reserved for the devil and his angels.  The truth is, those in whom the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, dwells are enlisted in a conflict between two spiritual kingdoms at war with each other.  It isn't about sitting on one's duff in pews week after week listening to flowery messages, singing songs, following the prescribed religious routine, and remaining stuck in this audience hamster wheel all the while allowing our own ambivalence toward our fellow creatures blinded by Satan are perishing in plain sight and stand in judgment against us.

NO.  Not according to Scripture.

It's about proactive enlistment for spiritual battle.

It's about deliberate, voluntary outreach.

It's about taking a stand for Christ

in a world which hates Him.

This website's home page has already touched upon the idea that true worship stems from a sincere heart and reverence for God, that when worship becomes focused more on performers rather than spiritual connection it indicates a departure from authentic spirituality.  But until those who are called to this specialized ministry described on this website go to God, offer the prayer of faith, and are given the knowledge of what's in store for them above the clouds in terms of an instrument, how it's controlled, or the wondrous place and office it occupies in the halls of heaven, they cannot even begin to imagine what's in store for them up ahead.  Once a student's interest in organ playing leads them to wade into this vast ocean of learning it's inevitable that they find themselves beginning to sense -- rather sooner than later -- this conjoining between theology and organ performance, that it all fits together.  They then do more than simply admire the craftsmanship and workings of this engineering marvel that has them captured, how it's built, how it creates sound, and the beauty and majesty of the music written for it -- they start crediting it for reflecting in its design and purpose the Light of an Eternal Mind.

They are left in profound reverence and awe of

  THE God Instrument.  

Once someone experiences what it's like to sit at a large pipe organ, draw its stops, press its keys in spread chords on the full organ with double pedal, and be exposed up close and personal to its sonic and visceral sensations, they're never the same again.  Our ears, our eyes, our hearts, ALL are opened up in ways not possible by any other means.  Being involved in the production of music feeds us, nourishes us, brings us great joy, and connecting with listeners in this way is always a plus.  For people called to and set aside by God to serve society in the music ministry the situation however is not a simple one in this present, pluralistic, politically correct world.

By far the biggest obstacle facing them

in carrying out their God-given calling

is religion itself.

RELIGIOUS PRIDE

KEEPS PEOPLE FROM THE TRUTH.

THE SAD TRUTH IS,

MUCH ABOUT RELIGION WITHIN CHURCHIANITY

IS NEITHER BIBLICAL NOR CHRISTIAN

BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION.

RELIGION TEACHES

ITS OWN REQUIREMENTS FOR SALVATION.

TRUE CHRISTIANITY TEACHES

THAT THERE ARE NO REQUIREMENTS

FOR SALVATION TODAY

SAVE FOR FAITH

IN THE FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST

ON THE CROSS.

SALVATION CANNOT BE MERITED OR EARNED

BY ANY TASKS, EXERTIONS, OR BURDENS

PRESCRIBED BY RELIGION.

WORKS DONE TO WIN GOD'S APPROBATION

ARE LIKE FILTHY RAGS TO HIM.

FAITH, IF IT LACKS GOOD WORKS,

 IS ALONE AND A DEAD FAITH (Jas. 2:17-26).

JAMES REFERS HERE TO FAITH-PERFECTING WORKS

WHICH ARE SIMPLY AN OUTWARD SIGN

OF THE LIVING PRESENCE WITHIN

OF THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST.

BUT WHEN THEOLOGY TEACHES THAT PEOPLE

MUST IN ANY SENSE PERFORM GOOD WORKS

IN ORDER TO DRAW DOWN THEIR SALVATION

IT RENDERS THE CROSS OF CHRIST OF NO EFFECT,

MAKES GOD INTO A LIAR,

AND DENIES HIS GRACE.

GOD LOOKS AT THE HEART

FOR WHAT HE REQUIRES,

NOT WHAT RELIGION REQUIRES.

SO LONG AS THE BODY OF CHRIST

IS ON THIS EARTH

HE LOOKS FOR FAITH IN, BELIEF IN, TRUST IN,

SURRENDER TO, AND COMMITMENT FOR LIFE

TO FOLLOW HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST.

RELIGION NEVER SAVED ANYBODY.

[THE PEOPLE WHO HAD JESUS NAILED TO A CROSS

WERE RELIGIOUS.]

PEOPLE NEED TO RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST,

NOT RELIGION.  

NOTE:  Ever since the mystery was revealed to Paul, both Jews and Gentiles have been saved by grace -- a merit-less salvation on the part of those being saved.  Scripture indicates that Christ did everything needed to supply this grace on the cross and by His resurrection.  People are saved today by faith alone in Christ's perfect finished work.  But, sadly, whole denominations by the dozens are being led by seminary attendees who are falsely teaching that this is not enough, that to be saved one must comply with additional conditions.

Salvation is not spadework to be taken up.

It's a gift.

There's a difference.

Christianity is an inner transformation of the spirit,

not a religion.

A man or woman of God within the body of Christ talks to the Holy Spirit like a best friend all day long and every day, sincerely prays ad libitum from the heart, studies the Bible for truth, lives by it as a lifestyle, cuts out things that get between themselves and God, binds and rebukes the devil, puts on the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:11-18), and allows nothing, not even churchianity, to trap them in a cycle of increasing guilt.  There are many church-goers today who don't understand this or even recognize the season they're in because the homilies they're hearing from the pew and the messaging their hearing from the gallery never teach about it.  Saint Paul wrote of a time when there will come a great falling away from the faith, that God will permit a great delusion to sweep human societies, and that the vast majority shall be carried away by it to their own shame and destruction (2Thess. 1-12).  The truth that God has made the cross of Christ the only road to heaven (John 14:6) is being contradicted today by false ministers, sons of a snake who claim that all religions have value as pathways to God; they are also claiming, falsely, that the hearts of all people are basically good (Jer. 17:9).  Both notions may be rightly viewed as part of the big lie to which Paul refers.  Many church-goers aren't even saved because they've never had a personal confrontation, i.e. a faith encounter, with Jesus Christ.  They have a creed, but not Jesus Christ; they have a cause, but not Jesus Christ; they have a code, but not Jesus Christ; they have a church, but not Jesus Christ.    

This being said, a large proportion of church-goers feel like God isn't very much in the churches these days.  A great many claim they haven't found true selfless Christian love, acceptance, fellowship in suffering, or unity there, only external observance.  Some are even reporting being treated a bit unfriendly if not snubbed altogether with no greeting.  To outsiders, churches are places that shallow and tawdry people go every Sunday to make people think they're not shallow and tawdry; from their standpoint it's been all about religion, what the place can get instead of what it can share, and more about status, position, clicks, and ear-tickling instead of what it's supposed to be -- a strengthening, sharing, inspiring enrichment of faith for reaching out to a lost and dying world -- all of which is in gear with the expected great falling away prophesied for the end time in which we live, a time when people will not endure sound doctrine.  

With song books and wood pews taken away and replaced with teaching from ipods and screens with the lights turned off, congregants are understandably uncomfortable and feel like they aren't being nourished in the fullness of God's Word but are simply being entertained and played.  In multiple megachurches today we find false ministers ignoring the teaching of repentance, salvation, and the true gospel in favor of promoting their own worldly stance of feel-good compromise and tolerance when it plainly contradicts the Word of God.  This includes, in particular, a) the prosperity gospel [falsely claiming that every faith-filled Christian can expect and should look forward to financial favor and thriving abundance in this world (John 16:33) and that any shortfalls encountered in either area in the here and now indicates insufficient faith], b) legalism [imposing additional conditions for salvation (such as mandatory membership & attendance, forced tithing, speaking in tongues, vain repetitious praying, and entire systems of observance], and c) hypergrace [preaching only God's love without acknowledging His holiness, twisting Scripture into claiming that "love is the God we seek" (1John 4:16) while ignoring the truth that He also is a God of justice].  For those would-be new congregants who walk with God in Bible reading and prayer, have investigated the original meanings of biblical words, understand biblical passages in their proper context, and are clear on the scriptural doctrine of salvation by faith and the true gospel of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and the saving work of His cross, this kind of gainsaying is a complete turn-off.        

Any gathering of the body of Christ today is supposed to be a place where the Spirit of Christ is there, reflecting His peace and the presence of the Spirit of truth in the hearts of all twice born believers present.  And yet, the way so many churches operate today, supposedly in His name, they give a potential new congregant a thousand reasons to quit attending.  As for the music situation, the major denominations may still have an organ of some kind in working condition, but most, sad to say, do not have an organist.  More often than not they rely upon a piano to accompany any live singing.  As for the listeners, a fair number of them really do not prefer the "pop concert" swing-and-sway atmosphere which now pervades the church music scene.  High-tech assisted worship, for them, is unnecessarily complicated.  They want it simple, not so communication glutted, easy to figure out and easy to follow -- something that doesn't get them lost.  This means a simple hymn book with music lines, a single song-leader, and plain accompaniment as opposed to the most up-to-date sights and sounds of a modern technology-glutted, communication-glutted society.

 

To hear so many congregants talking today the well-meaning rock band performing all kinds of special music of their own, while all well and good, is, frankly, wasted on them in a worship setting.  They agree that there is plenty of room for musical creativity, excellence, and talent, but they also admit that it should work with and not compete with assembled voices uplifted in worship.  They want to hear ALL of God's people united in praise, not merely the praise band singers.  They don't want to be forced to stumble through or silently listen to unfamiliar music and words they have trouble following while gazing at lines flashing across a Jumbotron screen.  They want to KNOW the music so they can sing it from their hearts.

This is a sobering situation facing the organist of today.  Trends like this have pushed many an organist, whether deliberately or not, out of the picture right along with the traditional hymn book.  The current so-called shortage-of-organists can be attributed in large part to the concert atmosphere that's developed and the fact that worship attendance and offerings have been dwindling.  Consequently fewer young people are undertaking the study of an instrument which consumes time and energy to develop, then maintain the several skill sets involved. but doesn't provide commensurate financial return.  There are some organists out there, of course, who make a full-time living from their music with a pay scale which provides for all of their needs, health coverage, and other considerations, but these are not in the majority.  The best case scenario seems to be relying on doing something else for a primary income which would allow organists to pursue their music ministry with a mind free of undue concern.  It's actually more accurate these days to say that there's an acute shortage of churches which use the organ at all.

It's sadly astonishing that a fair number of churches today are saying that they're "no longer able to utilize" their older pipe organ, a fine piece of musical equipment that may well have served and inspired countless listeners and for which so many had sacrificed to buy some decades ago.  Church boards are claiming they don't want to pay to keep the instrument maintained when they can't find anyone to play it ... all the while ignoring the fact that, in order for it to attract a player, it has to BE in working order.  With this absurd logic, it would make better sense to close and shutter the church, since it's probably just as old or older than its pipe organ and just as "unusable."  The truth is, when there are organs in Europe that are hundreds of years old and in excellent condition because someone cared enough to preserve them, it's a dirty, rotten shame if not dreadful blasphemy to put a fine pipe organ out on the street like this in favor of some nonsense.  Too many congregations today find themselves under-selling if not giving away their organ, then in 6 months, after the music director has hit the road for obvious reasons, they wish they had their organ back -- better to throw out the music director, keep the organ, find someone to play it, and get it fixed.     

In terms of filling the pews every week, the very misguided disuse of the hymnal and organ in worship has been far more of a hindrance than a help.  There are probably a very great many people who don't really care whether or not they're singing with an organ, but it's as if hymnals and organs have become the scapegoats for the decline in attendance.  The resulting fallout in education has involved school faculties which seem to be more challenged than ever before to recruit organ students.  Among denominations where organ music and accompaniments are or might still be embraced, there are fewer local churches open than ever before, fewer ministers, fewer congregants, smaller choirs (where there is a choir), greater costs for upkeep of the building and the functioning of worship, and more internal legislation on security, youth, insurance, etc.

While the musical mindset of pastors and worship teams is no longer what it was half a century ago, it still rings true that church services have little to do with what people prefer and everything to do with what they need.  It's still true that when people reverently and routinely come together to hear the Word of God, fellowship with the body of Christ, and sing praises to Him, this points to the use of a type of sacred song that's a) strong in doctrine, b) not mantra or emotionally driven, and c) not filled with repetitive lyrics.  These are foundational conditions, and, in churches where hymnals have been gathered up and are sitting in boxes or stacked in hallways, the ministry there would do well to remember that traditional hymns meet these requisites better than anything else [See blog, Hymns, Parts I-XII].

Hymns are theological statements set to music.

• Hymns serve as a means to teach and reinforce the foundational beliefs of the Christian faith.  Many contemporary songs simply lack the depth and theological richness that hymns provide.  Hymns can help educate and spiritually nourish congregations of all sizes.
• Hymns have connected generations of believers throughout history.  The singing of just one hymn at an appropriate moment, something approved of and encouraged by Jesus Himself (Matt. 26:30, Mark 14:26), can serve as a bridge between the church's past and its present, reminding all participants they are part of a much larger, timeless group which shares unity and continuity in worshiping God.
• Hymns are easy to remember.  Their melodies and lyrics stay with people for a lifetime.  Congregants can carry the messages and lessons contained in hymns throughout their lives, reinforcing their faith.
• Hymns can be a unifying force among a diverse congregation.  They transcend cultural and language barriers and provide an opportunity for people of different backgrounds to worship together.  They are a beautiful expression of unity in Christ among various sundry peoples that gives them a real sense of identity and belonging.
• Hymns can offer a broader musical palette and a sense of balance in worship.  They are flexible, arrangeable, and can accomodate a wide multiplicity of musical tastes and preferences.
• Hymns often carry deep emotional resonance.  Their melodies and lyrics can evoke strong feelings of reverence, joy, comfort, and pleasant memories of departed loved-ones.  They reach deeply into the soul, beckon the unsaved, and provide a safe space for people to express their emotions, a place where they can find solace and healing.
• Hymns can be powerful teaching tools.  They can be and are very often used to instruct and encourage, especially in conjunction with the preaching of sermons.  Many hymns are directly tied to biblical passages and stories, making them valuable teaching aids.
• Hymns preserve a sacred legacy for future generations.  These timeless songs of the church are a way that children and grandchildren have the opportunity to experience an unbroken musical heritage.    

   While it would be narrow-minded to think that hymn singing out of the hymnal is incapable of joining in praise with other kinds of worship music when congregations gather to offer praise to God, it does provide a great deal of spiritual depth, theological richness, timeless connection, memorability, inclusivity, variety and balance, and emotional resonance while serving as a powerful teaching tool with a living legacy.

There's something else to consider:  just holding a hymnal during worship is important.  Practically speaking, hymn books cannot break down in the middle of a liturgy like technology can.  Musically, they teach -- looking at notes on a page as opposed to just lyrics helps people learn the basics of melodic direction and rhythmic value, giving them the first steps in learning to read music.  Theologically, congregants don't just see what the worship leader has selected but are instead exposed to the full repertoire.  They can turn the page and encounter hymns in other languages, reminding them of the church's diversity.  Seeing old hymns next to newer ones unites them with all believers throughout history.  Hymnals are also symbols of consistency.  Unlike a screen that fades or a paper bulletin which is discarded, they demonstrate that what is being sung is worth keeping around as well as reminding everyone that prayer is continuous and can't be turned off or discarded.  Hymnals are something that can and should be held proudly in the hands.  The fact that congregants have a voice and the organist has an organ which can lead them remains a very dynamic way to enrich the spiritual lives of congregations by maintaining connection with the church's roots, providing a robust theological foundation, reminding people of God's love and grace, and fostering unity and inclusivity while helping to stir souls and draw them closer to God.

NOTE:  There are many persuasions within churchianity but only ONE body of Christ (Eph. 4:4).  The body of Christ is not a physical grouping but a spiritual body with Jesus Christ as its head.  It is not a corporation with Jesus Christ as its president.  It is not limited to the local congregation.  It is not limited to any one denomination, communion, or system of observance; that idea is FALSE no matter who insists otherwise.  The body of Christ crosses every man-made or circumstantial divide and partition to include ALL twice born believers irrespective of gender, age, race, creed, color, country of origin, baptismal status, health status, formal education, vocation, past history, card-carrying memberships, who they're pastor is, or even if they have a pastor.  It includes EVERY HUMAN BEING able to comprehend who has had exposure to and has embraced the true gospel, has repented, has surrendered to the Lord Jesus, received Him into their hearts, and are committed to trusting Him for everything going forward regardless of the cost.  When all is said and done, these  people experience three miracles in their lives:  1) the aforementioned process of being twice born, redeemed, sanctified, and justified through the Lord Jesus and the saving work of His cross at the moment of knowing and receiving Him as their Savior, 2) a future moment [rapture] at which all in the body of Christ, whether living or deceased, are removed from this world, given a glorified body like the Lord Jesus, and are taken to heaven (1Thess. 4:17), and 3) the miracle situated between these two other miracles made possible by such people taking on new life and becoming more like the Lord Jesus in their character as the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, begins to live His life ... IN THEM.