Theology is not the most popular topic among Christians. The word itself conjures up images of proud old men studying thick books, arguing about secondary topics that no one will understand in anyway.
Theology literally means "The Study of God," particularly as he revealed himself in the Scripture. It includes not only studying the Bible, but understanding how the different parts of the Bible fit together. Worship Teams need to know theology. But let me address four objections before I tell you why. 1. People just argue about theology Yes. Partly because we're sinful. But mostly because there are some truths that are worth defending and fighting for. Even dying for. 2. Theology just makes life complicated It depends on what you mean by complicated. If you think that knowing how to play your instrument makes it complicated, then yes, theology makes life complicated. And I can tell you that knowing God well involves more work than enhancing your musical abilities. But if we could grasp God completely, he wouldn't be much of a god. If God is really God, our minds will be stretched to their limits as we try to understand him better. Theology doesn't make life complicated. It actually makes life simpler. It protects us from reading verses out of context or reading only our favorite passages. Theology tells us what matters to God and helps us avoid making decisions based on impulse rather than truth. Theology tells us what words like glory, gospel, salvation, and love means. Theology helps us understand what we're actually doing every Sunday. What complicates life is not theology but ignorance of theology. 3. Studying Theology makes people proud It shouldn't. The better we know God, the humbler we should be. The more we should realize that we know will always be dwarfed by what we don't know. Listen to theologian Paul: Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! For who can know the LORD’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back? (Romans 11:33-35 NLT) 4. We'll never know it all anyway Just because we can't know everything about God, doesn't mean we can't know some things truly. God has revealed himself to us in his word and given us his Spirit so that we can know him. Scripture is divine revelation. It is not a collection of opinions of how different people see things that tells us more about the people than the things. No. It gives us God's perfect knowledge of himself and of all reality. It is given to us in a form we can understand. The reason God give it to us is that he wants us to know. Not to guess. Not to have vague impressions. And certainly not to be misled. He wants us to know. - David Wells, The Courage to be Protestant Instead of causing problems, theology, rightly applied, solves problems. It tells our minds what to think so our hearts can know what to feel and our wills can know what to do, all so we can love God more fully and passionately. Here are three reasons why theology should matter to worship teams: 1. You're already a theologian. Every Christian, musical or otherwise, is already a theologian. The question is, are you a good theologian or a bad one? We're good theologians if what we say and think about God lines up with what the scripture says and affirms. We're bad theologians if our view of God is vague, or if we think God doesn't really mind sin, or is we see Jesus as a good example and not a savior, or if we our god is too small to overcome evil or too big to care about us. How can you become a good theologian? First, by reading, studying and meditating on the Bible, God's self-revelation. Many of us study our Bible like we exercise, we know it's good for us. We try to get to it. We talk as though we actually have a regular routine. You also become a theologian by reading books written by those who have read, studied and meditated on the Bible. 2. God reveals himself primarily through words, not music. Like me, you've probably had profound encounters with God during musical worship. The trumpeters and singers performed together in unison to praise and give thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments. They raised their voices and praised the LORD with these words; "He is good! His faithful love endures forever!" At that moment a thick cloud filled the temple of the LORD. (2 Chron. 5:13 NLT) Or how about when David played the lyre for King Saul (1 Sam 16:23), Haven't you experienced an unusual peace or sensed God's nearness in an unexpected way while music was playing? When that happens it's a gift from God. But we can wrongly start assuming that words restrict the Spirit, while music enables us to experience God in fresh and powerful ways. We're drawn to that exciting world of emotions, unpredictability and spontaneous impulses that's hard to define but definitely experienced. If God had wanted us to know him primarily through music, the Bible would be a soundtrack, not a book. Being moved emotionally by music is different from being changed spiritually by God's truth. Music affects and helps us in many ways, but it doesn't replace truth about God. By itself, music can never help us understand the meaning of God's self-existence, the nature of the incarnation, or Christ's substitutionary atonement. To put it simply, truth outlasts tunes. If we want to know God better, we'll have to study his Word. What if I were as devoted to studying and listening to God as I am to studying and listening to music? The result could be radical. 3. Being a good theologian makes us better musicians. I'm not saying that we should study theology so that we can become better musicians. But being a better musician is simply a fruit of being a good theologian. Here are some of the things theology teaches us: a. Theology teaches us what music is meant to do. - Music is meant to draw out and express strong emotions for God. - Music is meant to serve words, not overpower or overshadow them. - Music is meant to edify and express unity in the church, not discourage and divide it. - Music, with all its styles, variations, and genres, is meant to give us picture of God's creativity and glory. - Music isn't meant to bring God down, make God show up , or somehow manipulate God's presence. That's the Holy Spirit's job, and he can make us aware of God's presence with or without music. b. Theology teaches us that worship is more than music. - The words we use to translate "worship" in the Old and New Testaments have to do with bowing down, showing reverence, and serving God in all of life. Only a few times worship is connected with music. - Music is an expression of my worship to God, not the sum total of it or even the best part of it. c. Theology teaches us that Jesus is better than music. - Music can give me temporary comfort. Jesus can give me lasting comfort. (2 Thes. 2:16) - Music can't bring me into God's presence - Jesus can. (Heb. 10:19) - Music didn't die for my sins to reconcile me to God. Jesus did. (1 Pet. 3:18) - Music is not the mediator between me and God. Jesus is (1 Tim. 2:5) - Music can only make me feel hopeful. Jesus rose from the dead to give me real hope forever. (1 Pet. 1:3) So let us practice and develop our skills, pursue excellence in music with passion. But let's remember that we are called to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Let's seek not only the best we can be, but the best theologians we can be. And may the name of Jesus be honored in our lives as we use our gifts for his glory.
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AuthorWarren Jhun Ocampo Archives
September 2017
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