Churches are

fighting music wars. The first skirmishes were seen in the 1960s as Jesus

Freak music began to show up in church on Sunday nights. The youth liked

songs like "Pass It On" because they contained contemporary

lyrics and a little more beat than "Holy, Holy, Holy."

Now, with the

giant publishing houses printing contemporary praise songs and choruses

and with the popularity of Christian radio stations, churches are forced

to incorporate contemporary music as part of their regular worship services.

However, everybody isn't happy because in their own words "We like

the old songs we know."

I have a few

observations about the whole church music scene. Since I have been singing

in church for more than 50 years, I look at myself as an expert so to

speak.

Some churches

are hymn churches. They only sing songs printed in their approved hymnal.

That's okay. I like the old songs written by the Wesley brothers and Martin

Luther and Fanny Crosby. But their words are a bit musty at times. "Here

I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by Thy help I'm come, " is a line taken

from "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing." What's an Ebenezer?

Who uses the word "hither" much anymore?

So, to those

churches who only sing the tried and true blue hymns, does it not say

somewhere in the Bible the really true blue book that we are also to sing

a "new song?"

"To God

Be The Glory" was one day fresh out of Fanny Crosby's heart. It was

a new song one day. Should we not give opportunity to "new songs"

today composed by believers just as gifted as Crosby or B.B. McKinney?

Some churches

are strictly chorus churches. They never sing an old, dearly loved hymn.

If it's more than 100 days old, they don't sing it. These churches have

guitars, drum sets, and electronic keyboards. They project their praise

choruses onto screens. You can't find a hymnal in the place. I like a

lot of contemporary music. It stirs my heart. Its language can be easily

understood. However, churches, which restrict their music offerings to

the most recent, rob believers of a rich heritage carried along by the

hymns. Whole generations are being raised in our churches never having

sung "On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand" or "O For a Thousand

Tongues to Sing" or "I Love Thy Kingdom Lord."

You respond,

"So what?" What about the heritage of our fathers and grandfathers?

What about the hymns that mother loved? What about the content of these

great hymns. Truly, the great hymns of the church stand as giants in sight

of contemporary choruses often with their limited theological and doctrinal

content.

As some of

our churches integrate, the issue arises as to what kind of music will

we sing: black or white?

I believe churches

seeking to minister to a multi-faceted culture must seek to develop an

integrated music format. It will require our musicians to work harder

and smarter. But it can be done. Each genre' and each tradition can maintain

its unique identity, but come together as harmony. Harmony emerges out

of the bringing together of distinctive parts like alto, soprano, bass,

and tenor. People love harmony.

The music department

can undo its reputation as the "war department" of the church

And, good

Lord, don't we need harmony in our churches?

The Rev. Dr. John Hatcher is pastor

of River's Edge

Community Church in Fayetteville.

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