Christian Praise & Worship Music
Praise & Worship Music
You live in a body. You function in your mind. You live in your spirit. Crush a man's spirit and no matter how healthy he is physically, he can decline to the point of death. Any doctor can tell you a story of someone who was healthy enough to live, but just gave up. There are many ways to stimulate the physical body. There are many ways to stimulate the mind - the mental part of mankind. Even so there are many ways to stimulate the spirit. One of the best is Praise and Worship Music.
Worship (when used as a noun) is generally defined as ‘paying reverence, honor, or homage,’ traditionally to a divine being in a religious setting; however, less conventional applications often include commentary on those who lavish praise upon pop stars, tout the benefits of organically grown produce, revere their political leaders, or display a fanatical devotion to corporations who produce powerful laptop computers. These unconventional examples are accurate enough by the broadest and general definition, but the unifying thread is the concept of intentionally dedicating a portion of time to focus upon and revere a beloved person, object, or subject. With this theme in mind, for the sake of this article, the emphasis will be placed on the spiritual connotation; specifically, the act of worship as experienced in a corporate church setting.
The most commonly referenced term for worship in the Bible is drawn from the Hebrew word ‘Abad’ which translates as ‘to abide’. This specific terminology implies the act of bringing people into an atmosphere where God can be experienced tangibly. While there are many methods employed individually and corporately to achieve this goal, in the modern church, the most frequently encountered - and arguably the most effective - is music.
Music in the Bible
The variety of worship encountered in today’s Christian church has its most obvious roots in the Biblical book of Psalms, a collection of literally hundreds of poems, lyrics, and artistic petitions penned by David, the king of Israel, which extolled the greatness of God, related his personal spiritual experiences, and even aired his grievances with the Almighty. These writings were relevant, real-time reflections of how David perceived God and His relationship to the people of the nation of Israel in this time period. Many of these works contain annotations relating to tempo, volume, intensity, and often call for specific instrumentation. The most recognizable of these instructions is the frequent use of ‘selah’, which refers to a dramatic pause or accent in a musical composition. Other passages are also prefaced by the phrase “To The Chief Musician” with instrumental specifications such as “with flutes” or “on stringed instruments” or reference other compositions by which the Psalm should be accompanied, such as “to the tune of ‘The Deer of the Dawn.’” David extended invitations to the most skilled musicians of
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