Photos 4:  Portable Keyboards/Hymn Singing

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

THERE'S INDEED NO PLACE ELSE

ON THE FACE OF THIS EARTH

WHERE ONE HUMAN BEING

CAN SIT AT AN INSTRUMENT

AND HAVE THIS MUCH TONAL SPREAD

AND THIS MUCH POWER

FOR PRAISING GOD IN HEAVEN

WITH SUCH GROUND SHAKING FORCE.

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 and to be saved by grace through faith in Christ and the work of His cross.  They may feel that none of this pertains to any physical performing at the keys, exercise of the musical imagination, or even what it means to be an organist. 

Oh.  yes.  it.  does.

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

Something a person HEARS

causes their faith to rise.

SALVATION

[BEING SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH

IN THE SON OF GOD

AND THE MESSAGE OF HIS CROSS]

IS A GIFT OF GOD.

It's part of the organist's job

in the music ministry

to express the joy of that gift,

to offer praise for it,

to teach its message,

and to feed that same faith.

It's possible for liturgical conditions

for the organ to play

to be so micromanaged by the clergy

that it becomes a field day for critics.

 THE CLERGY NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THIS MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE:

Organists are ambassadors for the organ

to the mainstream public

and for those masters who wrote for it,

to win new friends for them

and be relatable to a secular audience.

Let's face it.

A clergy who dictates ahead of a certain event

how many times and for how many seconds each time

the organ shall play

and in what manner, at what volume,

in what tradition, and what it is supposed to depict,

that ends up having visitors bored, confused, disappointed, unimpressed, and heading for the door

 are the worst friends the instrument ever had.

The contributions organists are called to make

in filling the air with soaring beauty and majesty

in worship places where they exercise their art

are a great gift and blessing to listeners

which play a critically important role

in God's rescue plan for man.

That role extends far, very far beyond

the role of a wage-earner

or ceremonial formality.

IT ALSO MEANS SOMETHING ELSE ...

ALL WHO ASPIRE TO PLAY THE ORGAN IN WORSHIP

ARE ABOUT TO BE INVOLVED IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE.

THE FORCE DRIVING THIS WORLD'S EVIL

IS NOT IMAGINARY.

HE IS NOT FICTITIOUS.

HE IS NOT SOME NEBULOUS CONCEPT.

HE IS A REAL SENTIENT BEING

WHO HATES GOD, CHRIST, AND MAN. 

WHEN HE SAW AN OPENING 

HE SPOKE DIRECTLY TO,

QUESTIONED THE AUTHORITY OF,

TRIED TO TEMPT,

AND THEN OFFERED A DEAL TO

THE SON OF GOD (Matt. 4:1-11).

MAN-MADE CONCEPTS AND FICITIOUS CHARACTERS

DO NOT COMMUNICATE IN REAL TIME LIKE THIS.

WHAT'S MORE, HE KNOWS THE BIBLE

AND WILL USE IT AGAINST ANYONE IF HE CAN,

WHICH MAKES IT INCUMBENT

THAT IT BE UNDERSTOOD THE WAY GOD INTENDED,

WITH RIGHT DIVISION, TRUTH FROM TRUTH.

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), and yet, he holds no power or control over man; the only power he has over man is what man yields to him by unbelief.  Knowing that God has in store an eternal sentence in a lake of fire as just punishment for Satan and the angels under his sway and that he's been outsmarted by the mystery of grace kept hidden from him from the foundation of the world, his 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 men, distorting the truth, promoting spirituality as a substitute for faith, and deceiving the gullible into spending their time, attention, and resources on anything but God.  Obsessed with disrupting man at every turn he misuses his genius to foment insubordination to and lead the unsuspecting away from the truth of God's Word causing division within humanity, most recently with the movements of feminism, progressivism, totalitarian wokeism, cultural marxism -- all the "isms" that have made people's lives worse -- not to mention  New Age and gaslighting.

NOTE:  Satan, the shrewd and subtle god of this world, is a consummate narcissist and the father of lies (John 8:44).  It takes a powerful being to deceive a whole world full of people (Rev. 12:9), and yet, the only power he has over man is what man yields to him by unbelief.  In the angelic world he accuses man of wrongdoing before God day and night (Rev. 12:10) while ignoring, if not denying, ever saying or doing anything misleading or misguiding himself in the face of an avalanche of proof to the contrary.  He shifts the blame, continues to act in ways that fail to match his words, uses what's near and dear to the individual as ammunition, and uses positive reinforcement to wear others down over time.  He also uses projection, attributing his own nefarious character and evil, godless attitudes to anyone or anything he can to externalize his own guilt and responsibility.   Knowing that confusion weakens he targets the human race to get people to question and misinterpret not only biblical truths but to start doubting and mistrusting everything, even their own thinking ability, to get them to believing, if he can, that they're losing their mind and no longer able to cope.

This is called Gaslighting

[so-named after the movie "Gaslight" (1944) starring Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer which portrays manipulation and abuse within a marriage]. 

Satan the devil is behind all of it.

This tactic of Satan's of constantly promoting the lie isn't so much aimed at making people believe a specific untruth so much as ensuring that no one believes anything any more.  He knows that a people who mistrust everything can no longer differentiate between truth and falsehood, will be unable to distinguish between right and wrong, that such a people deprived of the power to think and judge would be, without knowing and willing it, completely subject to the rule of lies, and that among such a people any maneuvering and manipulation is possible.  This obsessive, depraved nature of his is abundantly clear, recognizable, and sadly evident in human affairs in general, and politics and religion in particular.  Satan doesn't try to counterfeit what is already false; it would be a complete waste of his time.  Instead his attention is focused upon counterfeiting what is true.  It's a fact that he's spent the last two thousand years raising up a body of professing Christians who aren't in the body of Christ and never were (1John 2:19).  Whether he fans the flames of hatred, prejudice, and murder or if he simply prompts indifference in people, the result is the same.  The devil isn't interested so much in how many songs of praise this sham-phony army of professing Christians of his may sing, how much preaching amiss it may hear, or how much the organ or other musical instruments might be employed in its assemblies, so long as none of these recruits of his start discovering the truth on their own from the Bible and start putting it to work for God.  Repeat performative worship observance week after week appropriating the name "Christian" that downplays shared testimony, independent Bible study, prayer and meditation on the same, and using that learning to serve God and one's fellow man in some way plays right into his hands.  When people are asleep in religion one morning a week and jamb-packing every remaining hour of their lives with every recreational diversion known to man they're doing just what Satan wants.  Those following this broad road of letting worldly distractions monopolize just about all of their time and attention may proudly feel in their heart that this same routine is doing what it needs to do to compensate for their own latest round of sins, but they're very sadly mistaken.  

God hates this kind of stuff (Prov. 16:5).

If a mere fig tree earned the curse of the Lord Jesus for bearing no fruit when its leaves were plentiful (Mark 11:12-14), then it becomes the absolute business of everyone in the body of Christ, musicians included, to make their own individual contributions to carrying out His great commission (Matt. 28:18-20) to teach others about the love of God, the message of the cross, the absolute authority given to Christ Jesus in heaven and in earth, and all of what He has commanded.  WHY? ... because people all over this world are dying without Him -- without ever learning about God's grace.  Such people are missing their chance to travel the only road to heaven [the cross of Christ] which a holy and just God has made for man's justification.  Those old enough and mentally capable enough of comprehending the true gospel during their time on this earth, are acquainted with it but ignore or willfully reject it, and die without Christ, will spend eternity separated from God.  People may assemble every week all dressed up, have never used booze or dope, and be as pure sexually as new fallen snow, but without Christ Who destroyed the power of death, hell, and the grave, they're just as dead in trespasses and sin (Heb. 2:14).

There IS no life ... without Jesus Christ (John 14:6). 

The truth is, those in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, having received the down payment, are destined one day to be born of the resurrection [born again] with a body like Christ's into the kingdom of God but, for the time being, 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, being stuck in this hamster wheel minding our own business, then leaving the assembly keeping to ourselves what we've seen and heard and what God has done for us while people all around us are perishing for never knowing about it.

NO.  Not according to Scripture.

It's about proactive enlistment for spiritual battle

inside and out.

It's about deliberate, voluntary, witnessing outreach.

It's about sharing our story

and taking a stand for Christ

in a world that hates Him.

Satan knows if he can get sin to rule us,

any initial interest we have in the rule of God will be killed.

That's his objective in this war -- for us to die in our sins.

But if the Holy Spirit rules us, the sin in us will be killed,

crucified with Christ (Rom. 6:6, Gal. 2:20, 5:24). 

The sign of someone being a Christian

indwelt of the Holy Spirit

is not whether they still have sinful desires ... 

it's that the Spirit within them

is at war with those desires.

NOTE:  The pipe organ's ability to adapt to both sacred and secular contexts have allowed it to thrive for more than two thousand years.  During this time it became deeply rooted in its Christian identity because it has been churches which have provided organists with jobs, it was primarily churches that  encouraged organists to learn the organ, and it was frequently churches that were the biggest patrons of the instrument.  While precise statistics are hard to come by, the vast majority of pipe organs today are indeed found in churches with estimates suggesting that over 90 per cent of them are installed in primarily Christian religious settings due to their long standing association with such ceremonies and liturgical music.  At the same time it would be untrue to say that the organ's history is solely or even primarily Christian.  In acknowledging the vast repertoire of the instrument created during the last 7 centuries it's important not to create a false dichotomy between its sacred and secular uses.  The goal should not be to remove the secular, nor the sacred, from the organ but rather to reveal the true multiplicity of its identity. 

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 go to God with a repentant attitude and pray the prayer of faith for instruction 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 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 & BELIEF

IN THE LIFE, DEATH, AND RESURRECTION

OF THE SON OF GOD.

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 ALONE, IF IT LACKS GOOD WORKS,

 IS A DEAD FAITH (Jas. 2:17-26).

[JAMES REFERS HERE TO FAITH-PERFECTING WORKS

WHICH SIMPLY REFLECT 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.

RELIGION NEVER SAVED ANYBODY.

[THE PEOPLE WHO HAD JESUS NAILED TO A CROSS

WERE RELIGIOUS.]

PEOPLE NEED TO RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST,

NOT A SYSTEM OF BELIEF.

They need to come to the cross TO KNOW HIM,

not with their religious trappings, precedence, & pride

but with humility.

NOTE:  Ever since the mystery of grace was revealed  both Jews and Gentiles have been saved by it -- 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 Him, His death, His resurrection, and the perfect finished work of His cross.  But 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 has to comply with additional conditions.

Salvation is NOT spadework to be taken up.

It's a gift.

Being saved in Christ is NOT religion.

It's an inner transformation of the spirit.

A man or woman within the body of Christ typically talks to the Holy Spirit in prayer like a best friend, prays ad libitum from the heart without vain repetition, searches the Bible for truth, lives by it as a lifestyle, cuts out things that get between themselves and God, resists the temptation to sin, and puts on the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:11-18) against the devil, this sinful world, and its ways.  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 they're hearing from the gallery barely touch upon it.  They play church, they attend services, they recite a creed, they perform a rite, they get water baptized, it makes them feel a sense of community, moral code, and humility, but their spirit is still waiting to undergo conversion to a new creature in Christ.  Churches like this downplay biblical exegesis and promote their own eisegesis to the neglect of the regeneration of the spirit which is part of the true gospel.  Such churches are lifeless because their leaders are insentient of the need to teach this, they don't know Christ like they think they do, and He doesn't know them.  Those newly joined with the body of Christ aren't just devoted admirers of Jesus -- they bear a fixed relationship with Him; they feel His joy inside them (John 15:11); they feel a love for Him so great that from now on the idea of anything that grieves the Spirit within them, viz. sin in any form, becomes abhorrent because it represents disloyalty and betrayal to what He did on the cross.  They're a new creation from head to toe, a totally different individual from how they used to habitually think and behave and who they used to be.

The apostle 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 majority shall be carried away by it to their own shame and destruction (2Thess. 1-12).  We know that, for many years now and continuing down to this day, the truth of God is being contradicted by new age religionists and quasi-pantheists who occupy pulpits.  These individuals have used the largely corrupt media to build followings, make a name for themselves, and amass considerable personal wealth by prioritizing popularity over truth and authoring books which promote the same.  In promoting notions such as "all religions have value as pathways to God," and "the hearts of people are basically good" they're dead wrong because the human heart is deceitful above all things, desperately wicked (Jer. 17:9), and God has made faith in Jesus and the blood sacrifice of His cross the only and exclusive road for forgiveness and  justification (Rom. 5:1,9).  It's a fact that many church-goers listen to pretend pastors piously quote Scripture week after week and tie it into their own or "official"  interpretations when they're running anything but a Fellowship of Joy.  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.

It's calamity enough when Buddhists, Hindus, Confucianists, Islamists, unbelieving Jews, atheists, and  wiccans who ignore or reject the true gospel and die without Christ will never experience the joy of eternal fellowship with God, but it gets worse ... Jesus warned that many self-styled followers of His who are following a false gospel also won't realize until it's too late that they spent their lives soaking in unsound belief that only had them thinking they were part of His flock (Matt. 7:21-23, Luke 12:32).  People acquainted with the Lord Jesus may acknowledge His identity [even demons do that], they may attend worship services, they may do every work that their performative religion prescribes, but without having a personal, intimate, faith-filled encounter with Him and experiencing that transformative presence of the Holy Spirit that completely changes one's nature ... without having the same fruit of the Spirit approach (Gal. 5:22-23) to all of life that Jesus Christ had ... without being a reflection of  Him ... the same do not belong to Him (Matt. 7:21-23).  Much of what they've been led to believe about how to make it to heaven when they die is nothing more than man-made, misleading, feel-good fiction.  When someone's religion is tainted with dishonest hype and error which even its own clergy cannot see through, that "church" is no better off than the man on the outside who waxes proud that he doesn't kneel to anyone and doesn't need God.  Any man like this, who rejects the doctrine of justification by faith, who hardens his heart so much, who's put himself so far out of reach that he's completely deaf to the voice of the Holy Spirit, the same isolates himself from redemption and remains self-condemned.  He will realize finally, but far too late, that no one is so great that they can excuse themselves before God, and no one is so small that they can hide from Him.  Such a man will indeed find himself kneeling before Someone one Day singled out for adversity with no advocate.  He will be given no place and melt that Day before the presence of God like a tiny wax figurine before a blast furnace unless that man runs right now to Christ.  The delusion, for all of them, is complete.  This is called "the Judas tragedy" among professing Christians, it's shocking, and association with such "churches" can have well-meaning but unsuspecting organists and other musicians immersed in the same imposture.

Churches are unique work-place venues for organists in a great many other respects.  To start with, it's a non sequitur for an organist to "go to church" to practice the organ there.  People can go to a religious center/501c3 building to worship, fellowship, or exercise their ministry, but, technically speaking, they cannot "go to church."  The "church" [Gr. "ekklesia," meaning "called out ones"] Jesus said He would build (Matt. 16:18) is not a building, neither is it limited to any one denominational persuasion.  It is not an agency of sectarian bondage.  It's a spiritual organism composed of individuals peppered throughout society who have received Jesus Christ, are justified by faith, belong to Him, and are destined one day to be resurrected [born again] into the kingdom of God.  Among former church-goers a fair number of them do not intend to return.  When every local Christian congregation is supposed to be thinking and acting like a loving and concerned family it can be very dispiriting to learn that some attendees have received undeserved mistreatment as a result of  their church memberships.  Those saved in Christ cannot afford to remain ignorant of the fact that spiritual bruises and welts have been suffered by church people and that far too many have been wounded in the house of the Lord.  Just about anybody who's "been in church" for very long has his/her own sad and painful story to tell about gossip, slander, hypocrisy, ingratitude, snubs, omissions, being forced into a mold that didn't fit, or outright discrimination.  These kinds of embarrassing flaws have not only contributed in a negative and no small way to church retention and recruitment but have exerted their virulent, toxic effects among fraternal organizations as well.  If someone is seriously wronged accidentally and those responsible acknowledge it and apologize, there is room for forgiveness.  We are taught to love and forgive the trespasses of others even when no apology may be forthcoming (Matt. 6:14-15).  But if and when expectations are marred through quarrels and divisions, criticism and control, neglect and betrayal, the relationship gets shredded, and it may be impossible for things to continue along the same lines.  From then on flinching and cringing happen at the mere mention of "church."  Musicians who may have witnessed or been subject to such misfortune to such an upsetting and destructive degree do well to remain close to God in prayer, keep in mind the positive impact their playing invariably has on their listeners, envision what the church being the church really looks like as a caring family, and be willing to seize any future opportunities to help make that dream or ideal into a reality.

Certain modernizations such as teaching from ipods and screens with the lights turned off being substituted for conventional hymnals has left some congregants who are unaccustomed to such things understandably uncomfortable.  They feel like they aren't being nourished in the fullness of God's Word but are simply being entertained, having their senses played, and are barely growing in the faith.  Sadly, in some of the megachurches and Christian persuasions today, we find misguided pastors and associate pastors in the heirarchy of governance who are preaching amiss.  The prevailing worldly stance of feel-good compromise and political wokeism has infected all areas of society including the modern pulpit to the extent that the messaging from the Bible about such critical matters as the sin problem, hell, the doctrine of justification by faith, in fact the entire host of consequential points involved in the Christian journey, are being set aside in favor of 1) the prosperity gospel [falsely claiming (John 16:33) that every faith-filled Christian can expect and should look forward to financial favor and thriving abundance in this world and that any shortfalls encountered in either area in the here and now indicates insufficient faith], 2) legalism [an unbiblical hybrid of law and grace involving the imposition of additional conditions for salvation such as mandatory membership & attendance, forced tithing, speaking in tongues, vain repetitious praying, and entire systems of observance], 3) hypergrace [preaching only God's love without acknowledging His holiness, twisting Scripture (1John 4:16) in contending that "love is the God we seek," ignoring the truth that He is also a God of justice, and promoting the idea that those saved in Christ can do whatever they want], 4) replacement theology [the false notion (Eph. 1-3) that the body of Christ has supplanted Israel in the plan of God, thus making believers a non-existent spiritual Israel, stealing their possibility of free salvation and failing at the same time to rightly divide truth from truth, and 5) outright blasphemy [redefining God's nature, rejecting the jeopardy of hell, teaching no access to Jesus save through His human mother, denying the exclusiveness of the cross of Christ in claiming that all religions are pathways to God, asserting that Christ was a created Being, that He was hung on an upright pole, or that the destiny of the saved is to become gods themselves, all of which, in their untruth, are an affront to God.  The Lord Jesus was quite clear about the danger of hell fire (Matt. 5:22) and about Himself, that no person can come to the Father but by Him (John 14:6).  He was also quite clear about the ordeal and sore trial [NOT thriving good fortune] that awaits anyone in this world who believes in Him and receives Him (John 16:33), warning people that there would be a price to pay for it.  He said if any man were to come after Him, let him deny himself, take up his cross [NOT pole] daily, and follow Him (Matt. 16:24, Luke 9:23).  This means nothing less than to restrain oneself from gratification of desires, bear the affliction that comes from being His follower, and even face execution, if need be, for His sake.   For those would-be new congregants who walk with God in Bible reading and prayer, who have investigated the original meanings of biblical passages recorded in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek language, understand them in correct translation and in proper context, and are clear on sound, rightly divided biblical doctrine, the dishonest gainsaying they find being preached unbiblically in too many "churches" these days is a complete turn-off (Gal. 1:9).  They know that the sins society condones, that the clergy may disregard, overlook, or excuse, or that man has made legal, are still sins in the eyes of God.  

Any gathering of the body of Christ today is supposed to be a place where the Spirit of Christ is there, reflecting His love, joy, peace, and other attributes of the Spirit of truth (Gal. 5:22-23).  And yet, the way churches operate today, supposedly in His name, they give potential new congregants  a thousand reasons to quit attending.  As for the music, the major denominations may still have an organ of some kind in mostly or partly working condition, but most, sad to say, do not have anyone to play it.  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 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 music ministry 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 attempt to make a full-time living from their music with a pay scale which provides for a part of their needs, health coverage, and other considerations, but such positions are very few and far between.  It's a fact that a great many churches these days have lost their organists because their musicians are expected to perform weekly for zero compensation.  The best case scenario seems to be relying on doing something else for a primary income which would allow someone to pursue the music ministry with a mind free of undue concern.

It's sadly astonishing that a fair number of churches today are saying that they're "no longer able to utilize" their 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 purchase and install 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 talented player, it has to BE in working order not to mention that, by offering no pay, they've destroyed any financial incentive for talent recruitment.  The truth is, when there are important organs hundreds of years old in Europe that are in excellent condition today because someone cared enough to preserve them, it's nonsensical, a dirty rotten shame, and a crime against music bordering on blasphemy to put a fine pipe organ out on the street and end up with worship music that's "all sauce and no beefsteak."  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, and begin fund-raising to keep it in good repair and pay someone talented to play it.     

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 accommodate 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 also 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.

SECTARIAN CHURCHIANITY (irrespective of cults)

LOOKS LIKE THIS:

ORGANISTS PLEASE TAKE NOTE:

There are many communions and affiliations within churchianity today but only ONE body of Christ (Eph. 4:4).  The body of Christ is not a physical man-made 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 or system of observance; that idea is FALSE no matter who insists otherwise.  The body of Christ crosses every partition and circumstantial divide to include ALL Spirit-led 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 mentally capable of comprehending who in this life has had exposure to and has embraced the true gospel, who has repented, who has surrendered to the Lord Jesus, who has received Him into their heart, and is committed to trusting Him for everything going forward regardless of the cost.  Such people are destined to 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, born again with 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.

*

As for something in a portable electronic instrument for the itinerant organist or worship keyboardist where a suitable organ with pedals is not available, it would be well to shoot for one that has realistic pipe organ, orchestral, percussion, and sound samples aboard which includes, if possible, a 32-foot octave, adjustable EQ and reverb, transposer button, a row of adjustable presets to store selected combinations, and the ability to mix individual samples at various volume levels.  An external powered speaker cabinet, damper (sustain) pedal, volume pedal, keyboard stand, bench, audio cables, power (surge) strip, and traveling case would be among the necessary tools.  An add-on powered subwoofer, connecting audio cable, extension cord, and a couple of 3-prong adapters for situations where the venue may only have 2-prong electrical wall receptacles, all come highly recommended.   

     

 *

It's important for organists/church musicians, wherever they're music ministry takes them, to remember this one thing ABOVE ALL:  worship music, no matter how pious it may sound, can be the front door to unbiblical deceptions.  Those in the body of Christ today don't get to follow Jesus on their own terms, neither do they get to worship God just with their heart or any other way they want.  Referring to the Scriptures, Christ taught that people must worship God in spirit AND in truth (John 4:24).  Both are necessary and non-negotiable conditions according to Jesus, which means that the Bible is conjoined with the hymnal (and comes before it).  In a great many of today's denominations being led by preachers who go along to get along, more time is spent listening to and watching Christian-based songs performed than hearing sermon messages.  Since congregations learn their theology not only by the preaching they hear but by the songs they sing it's important to bear in mind that Satan the devil, as described above, also is a musician; he knows all about music, and his workmanship in this department was prepared for him in heaven from the time he was created (Ezek. 28:13).  As a largely underestimated master of disguise, Satan is well aware that spiritual giftedness, especially in the creative arts, does not equal spiritual maturity.  So, with characteristic, unmitigated gall he cunningly and treacherously deceives and preys upon any well-meaning but unwary, underinformed, misinformed, and susceptible praise song writers.  He specifically targets their proficiency in crafting poetic and artistic language to perpetrate a hoax; he misleads them to incorporate what's theologically false into the lyrics they're matching to the latest captivating tune to issue from their pen.  In so doing, this malevolent being, working undercover, exploits the creativity of the naive musician to adroitly assemble a Trojan Horse for him.  The musical product is a very subtle, perfidious imposture which on its surface looks and sounds and seems uplifting, reverent, and honoring to God but when introduced into and performed at worship it ends up achieving the pernicious end that Satan wants; its wording, when mirrored against biblical truth, is irreverent and lacking honor to God while at the same time promoting what's untrue in such an astute and guileful way that it goes unnoticed.  This is only one way that Satan, the ruler and god of this world (John 16:11, 2Cor. 4:4) who knows that God will not trespass on man's free will, exploits churchianity.  He worms his way into the arts, infiltrates religious thinking and worship, and manipulates the people involved (including seminary attendees & musicians); he manipulates places (including pulpits & the elevated dais); he manipulates things (including seminaries, liturgies, bible translations, theologies, music, etc.) to taint the purity of biblical truth -- in this case within sung stanzas of songs -- just enough to discolor with error the purity of truth.  Incognizant singers who are duped by all of this may be charter members of their church, they may have multiple baptismal certificates to their name, have a drawer full of Sunday school pins, have never missed choir practice, and still end up, of their own free choice, missing their chance to experience God's presence and fellowship with Him forever.  As long as the result is still the same, Satan is fine with that.  As stated, the devil doesn't come on as a bad guy; he works behind the scenes masquerading as a good guy to achieve his ends; he doesn't give a hoot about how much people sing praises to God in the churches every week as long as the singing is off target.  Satan, master of fine-spun, insidious propaganda that he is, ambush predator walking about this earth seeking whom he can devour that he is (1Pet. 5:8), arrogant, brazen, back-stabbing traitor to God that he is, hates man, hates the Word of God rightly divided, and hates the true gospel, is infuriated by it, and will stop at nothing, and stoop to anything, to contaminate and pollute its message, lure people away from God, and get them to disqualify themselves by any tantalizing and nefarious means his genius can contrive.  This is because Satan knows that a) no man has ever turned away from God and found happiness, joy, and peace that was lasting and permanent, b) God has made

+  the cross of Christ  +

the road to heaven, c) there isn't any other way for sinful man to be forgiven and enter into eternal fellowship with God, d) the man or woman who refuses to accept the shelter it offers is doomed, and e) it's been made crystal clear that anyone saved by it is no longer dead in spirit (alive physically but without relationship or fellowship with God) but part of a new creature called the body of Christ, miraculously formed by grace through faith, against which no weapon formed, seen or unseen, shall prosper (Isa. 54:17).  

Is this what's really going on in the churches

and with church music today?

Dear friends, you better believe it ...

Where you spend eternity depends upon it.

If Satan is shrewd enough to talk angels out of heaven

he can talk man into hell.

The classic hymns also have poetic and artistic language in them, but it's always combined with a reverence and an honoring to God that's sadly lacking in a fair number of the newer songs used in praise.  This is why true Christians are obliged to follow Saint Paul's example (1Cor. 14:15) when he says he will sing with the spirit and also sing with the understanding.  This is why organists who play for worship services need to be (and cannot afford NOT to be) well acquainted with true, rightly divided, biblical Christian doctrine.  When there is a proper way to worship and sing to the Lord, viz., in the spirit with both truth and understanding, then people are not to sing songs to God that they do not understand (if it's something they don't understand, then it's truthfulness cannot be determined).  People fail to catch any untruths in the stanzas they're singing in worship without knowing the truth directly from sacred Scripture.  This makes it incumbent upon organists as well as praise music writers and other performers involved in the music ministry to reflect upon the body of belief being taught where their music is being heard.   

*

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS WORTH SHARING ...

Some of our organist friends, while they cannot find any hard numbers to support it, believe that the profession of liturgical organist is dying.  In some locales a fair number of churches have either shut down completely or merged with other congregations.  Many are no longer employing the organ and are using either piano or praise band music.  Active choirs are becoming increasingly rare because of the diminished and aged congregations.  Many young organists today are completely eschewing church work and trying to build recital careers.  While understandable, they do not have the career paths of other musicians such as violinists or pianists.  As such, even our major organists cannot command the fees many up-and-coming pianists make.  The demand and audience attraction just aren't there.  The sad part is that many new organists are fine musicians, their talent is something about which to marvel, but it seems that, without a massive examination of the topic of marketing, this profession will be gone in the not too distant future.

A significant issue appears to be that these talented young organists can't find full time positions with even basic benefits because so many churches can no longer afford that, notwithstanding the issue of those who just want a paycheck and have no concern for the music ministry.  In the big cities where large and important instruments are located a fair number of congregants have grown tired of the liberal politics that have flown directly in the face of their faith, and they've moved away.  The Covid scare and the church's reaction to it also caused people to get out of the habit of attending worship services, opting instead to watch online.  The woke ideology direction some of the churches have taken also is part of the picture, many people just don't go for drag queen bible study, and these are dying by their own hand.

It's a disheartening reality that many extraordinarily talented young musicians, brimming with potential, will see their careers falter or stagnate -- not due to a lack of skill but because they do not understand how to market themselves.  Despite their musical prowess they find themselves adrift in a landscape that increasingly values visibility and self-promotion.  What's particularly troubling is that even our most prestigious music education institutions often fail to equip these gifted individuals with the business acumen necessary for building a successful concert career.  A comprehensive musical education should not just focus on the art itself but also on the practical realities of turning that artistry into a viable profession.  One of the most crucial aspects of being a performing artist is selling tickets and filling seats in a performance venue.  In today's competitive world, being excellent is no longer enough -- the recitalist must also be a magnet that can draw a wide and loyal audience.  Major concert venues will simply not hire an artist who cannot fill their halls, regardless of their talent.

This challenge extends beyond just filling seats.  Musicians must also know how to cultivate relationships with foundations and corporations to secure funding for their desired projects, many of which are not cheap.  The ability to attract patrons and sponsors, present compelling proposals, and manage funding is now as integral to a musician's success as the ability to perform beautifully on stage.  The tragedy deepens when we consider the sheer breadth of opportunities available today.  In this digital age, with platforms like social media and streaming services at their fingertips, musicians have unprecedented access to audiences around the globe.  However, far too few know how to harness these tools effectively.  Many young artists seem overwhelmed or simply unaware of the power these resources hold on shaping their future careers.

This disparity between talent and visibility underscores the urgent need for our music institutions to evolve.  It's no longer enough to teach the notes; how to be heard in a noisy world also needs to be taught.  The modern performing artist has to be a skilled marketer, relationship builder, and fundraiser as much as they are a master of the instrument.  Any time-saver [such as online educational websites like this one] which helps fast-track that mastery can be expected to help create more time for the budding professional to focus on these other career-building skills.

BOTTOM LINE MESSAGE FOR ORGANISTS:

Modern technology and social media have opened an avenue for audiences to judge your musicianship and for musicians to be able to seek other's approval.  Because it takes a lot of years to get to a point where you can use your music to make a living, even partially, you need to find a balance between what part of your music is ministry and what part of it is career.  Doing music doesn't always give instant gratification from others.  The unspoken compliments are valuable, too.  Just blessing and touching someone's heart and soul with something you play is the goal.  Let God do His work through your music.  He will give the increase.  Keep on working, and keep on enjoying what you do.  Keep your eye on the finish line and beyond.  Remember as well, it's extremely easy to get burned out with music.  It's hard work, and negative criticism hurts.  Try to ignore the negative junk.  Music is a wonderful journey but certainly not a perfect one, either.  Give your concerns whatever they are to the heavenly Father, and put your burden in His hands.  You are no accident.  God loves you.  He knew you before you were born.  He has invested you with a combination of traits and abilities unlike anyone else who has ever walked the face of this earth.  You are uniquely, almost strangely, qualified for the assignment God has in mind for you, and he has put you in the here and now, in this generation, for a purpose (Rom. 8:28-30).  That purpose may not always be clear to us, but it is to Him.  Implore His help in prayer, sincerely believe and state that it's for His greater glory and for the glory of His Son, then show Him your faith by thanking Him ahead of time for removing whatever obstacle(s) may be in your way.

Thank Him for creating a door where none is there

and opening it ahead of you.

Ask Him to show you the Way

to what's true and right and good.

With God Nothing is impossible (Matt. 19;26, Luke 1:37).

Trust Him to solve your puny little problem

in His own way, in His own good time,

and believe the answer is already signed, sealed,

and on its way.

Be mindful after that, of what happens (2Thess. 3:3).

He is faithful to move His hand to bless you.

      *