My purpose in blogging is not to be some dissonent voice, always complaining or critiquing things that I don’t like or disagree with. With that said, however, I must talk about an article written in the Christian Chronicle

I will not include the whole article (though you can click the link above to read it) but I do want to paste below the questions that were answered by a panel of college choral directors:

Were you raised in cappella Churches of Christ? If so, what are your earliest memories of singing in the church? If not, please describe your own experience.

Some have suggested that the tradition of four-part a cappella singing in Churches of Christ is quickly disappearing. Do you agree or disagree with that statement? Why or why not?

Is it true that our congregations are singing fewer (and in some cases, none) of the great Protestant four-part hymns and are moving quickly to praise songs? If so, what does this mean for the church as a whole?

Are we losing the “common language” of the sacred song in Churches of Christ — meaning that grandchildren don’t know the music of grandparents? If so, are we experiencing a fragmentation of the main corporate activity in our common worship experience? Please elaborate on your response.

How would you describe the overall quality of singing in our churches? Better or worse than in the past? Are we producing a generation that does not know how to read music or shaped notes? What are the ramifications to moving from hymnals to singing from a big screen?

Have you noticed a difference in the quality, experience, ability to “hold a part,” etc., of students moving from high school to your university music groups in recent years? Please elaborate.

Before I say my piece let me say that the intervewiees responses were pretty solid for the most part (from my perspective) and the questions seem pretty leading.

Here are a few of my thoughts. I value a ceppella music. I would also say that I’m learning to value it more as we get deeper into church planting. And if I were to be honest I’d probably have to say that I have no sort of emotional, theological, or tradition-connected desire to worship in a ceppella style. Therefore I try to realize that many people have fond memories of this style of worship, many people have strong theology concerning what type of worship is apropriate, etc.

But seriously! Sheet music? Is reading notes and having hymnals much of a concern of the church? The churches of Christ are hemorrhaging, as a whole they have lost their voice in the United States, and do we really think that singing four part harmonies is something that we need be concerned about? What is the purpose and concern of four part harmonies anyway? Is it the beautiful sound of our voices coming together in unity? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure that happens even if we all sing the melody. Oh, and let me say real quick as a lifelong church of Christ preachers kid…I can’t read a single note to save my life.

Concerning singing classic hymns, what’s the worry? I think some hymns are beautiful and speak powerful theology. Honestly, some hymns need to go. But why are these hymns valued? Many (not all) are valued because they resonated with people, they were connected to peoples narratives, their stories, their experiences. Many hymns have value because they spoke to thier theology, worries, and concerns. But as peoples worries change, as peoples theology changes, as people find new music to ressonate with new experiences and their own individual stories it only makes sense to sing new music. Don’t get me wrong, part of our journey of faith is remembering the bigger story, remembering where we came from, and therefore valuing the past. But there is absolutly nothing more sacred about Great is thy Faithfulness and Shout to the Lord (I know even this song is dated, but I wanted something that most would be aware of). To value one generations songs over another is wrong (whether your a youngster or and elder).

Here’s what it all comes down to. If you’ve glazed over the rest of this, please read this one statement: People do not resist change, they resist loss.

I believe that if we take time to reflect on that statement it allows us to understand better where the author of those questions is coming from. It allows us to give more grace and freedom to those who do not want to let go of, what I believe to be, silly things like sheet music and four part harmonies. Many in an older generation is grieving losing reminders, monuments, and memories associated with their stories. The great problem, and one that another blog must deal with, is that the world has changed so incredibly, so rapidly over the past number of years that change must happen. So some healthy question we may want to begin asking include: what is a healthy way to grieve loss together? How do we engage in change while still valuing our stories (both past, present, and future)?

peace.