A response to Rev. Marcus Lecky’s article on hymns and music
It is bewildering and deeply alarming to think that a Free Presbyterian minister should teach on the nature of the worship of God without making a single reference to the only standard of true worship, the Bible. A preacher without a Bible is a strange paradox indeed.
There are several issues I wish to raise in response to Rev. Lecky’s article. I am glad that he has voiced his views publicly and online as it gives opportunity to respond to them in the same manner. It has been startling to see the positive comments and support, even from other Free Presbyterian ministers, to such an obviously non-scriptural discussion of the worship of God.
1. Primary focus. Rev. Lecky is obvious setting out to refute the charge that Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) has infiltrated the Free Presbyterian Church. He does so by emphasizing repeatedly that the FPCoU has throughout its history used, what he terms, “current music”. In making this point he avoids the real issue entirely and raises a red herring. This wordplay either is based on ignorance of the real issue, or is an attempt cause confusion. The question of CCM in the church has NEVER been about the time when hymns or music was created. There is no intrinsic merit in the age of hymn. It is not better – or worse – simply because it is old or because it is new in a chronological sense. The date of writing is irrelevant.
CCM is a distinct genre of music first identified by the term “contemporary” in the 1970s in the context of the Jesus movement, a supposedly ‘christian’ hippie movement. It is a genre of music that blends Christian praise with the music of the ungodly world, initially from the hippie culture. It is contemporary, not in the sense that it is new, but in the sense that it copies the style of prevailing popular music trends. Simply put, CCM is contemporary because it is the music of this present evil age incorporated into the praise of worship. God-honouring praise is timeless and it is never determined to be God-honouring on the basis of the date of its production. The Bible speaks of the new song planted by grace in the heart of the redeemed (Ps 40:3). It is not new because it is recent, but new in contrast with the old songs of the pit which the old man previous enjoyed in an unregenerate state, and from which grace had redeemed him. It is still the new song of the new man, when a Christian has been singing the praise of God for a lifetime. Biblical praise is timeless.
Recognizing the irrelevance of Rev. Lecky’s misleading use of the term “current music”, the charge that contemporary worldly music has infiltrated the Free Presbyterian Church still stands. There is undoubtedly praise employed in the FPC today that is of a very different spirit than was used in the past. There has been an increasing adopting of the contemporary music of the world. (more…)
Here is an email I received on Wednesday morning, 20th April. I have not altered it but publish it as I received it, including misspellings!