Jesus Gave Praise Teams Their Big Break (Friday, Week 2 of Advent 2011)

What Did Jesus Do?

And suddenly there was with the angel
a multitude of the heavenly host PRAISING God.
Luke 2:13

Most folks point to the charismatic movement in the 1960s as the time when the first praise teams (Or, if you prefer, praise band, worship band, worship team, worship group, music group) appeared. In the last fifty years mainline churches, along with their choirs and organs, have been in serious decline, while praise teams, and the charismatic and neo-liturgical churches that employ them, have been springing up like mushrooms in most communities. But it would be a big mistake to say that praise music is a phenomena of the latter part of the 20th Century. Praise music has in fact been part of Christian worship from, well, the beginning of Christian worship, when, on the day he was born, Jesus gave praise teams their big break.

There was nothing historical or traditional about the chorus that filled the sky above Bethlehem, it was music just about as contemporary as contemporary can get! The words expressed timeless theology in a totally fresh and new way:

“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace…”
Luke 2:14

And, it wasn’t “one and done” with the refrain. The angelic host that made up the first praise team undoubtedly repeated the chorus many times, until the congregation, which was made up of a group of shepherds, took ownership of the worship and itself started glorifying and praising God. (Luke 2:20) It was worship unlike anything anyone had ever heard or seen before.



Funny, but what we consider contemporary and new is actually the oldest and most traditional of Christian worship styles. Choirs and organs were much later additions to the worship scene than “contemporary” praise music. But, it really doesn’t matter which came first, the traditional which we call contemporary, or the contemporary which we call traditional. And it certainly should never be a source of acrimonious debate, much less division (to the extent that it is sometime referred to as worship wars). If the music and the words express heartfelt praise to the Father and glory to the Son, it doesn’t matter if the sounds come from an organ or an electric guitar, or the words are sung by a robed choir or a less formally attired team. What it comes down to is not right or wrong styles, but right or wrong identity.

If the music, whatever its style, is inspired by knowledge of the Son, born in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, and by faith in him that we are the Father’s family by grace, now and forever, then it is the sound of Christian worship. Whether it is a Gregorian Chant, one of Isaac Watts’ hymns, or the latest from tobyMac, I believe all glory and praise to God in the highest got its big break thanks to Jesus, who inspired the first praise team, better known as the heavenly host.

Advent is a season for preparing, and, since our eternal vocation will consist exclusively in glorifying and praising God, and enjoying him forever, this is the perfect time to start rehearsing our joy and our songs of praise to God and his Savior!

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4