Category Archives: Instrumental Music

A Debate on Instrumental Music, Part 1

Well, following my back surgery, I’m finally off narcotics. I’m not sure whether I’m thinking more or less clearly. But I’m sure having some strange dreams! I was still reflecting on that Christian Chronicle ad as this dream came to … Continue reading

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A Time to Speak

This month’s Christian Chronicle (October 2007) features a two-page ad from a group of Church of Christ preachers organized as NewTestamentChurchToday.org. The ad advocates a cappella music as the exclusive authorized means of worship. The purpose of this post is … Continue reading

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Reflections on the Instrumental Music Question

Here I am, an elder of an a cappella Church of Christ, and we just had another wonderful worship service with truly marvelous singing. We’ve figured out how to do a truly excellent job with our singing (praise team of … Continue reading

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Interpreting the Bible: Instruments of Music

So let’s try out all these theories on a tough question: is a cappella music in worship mandatory? Rather than considering the traditional arguments, let’s go through the hermeneutical principles taught earlier and see where they lead us. Each bold … Continue reading

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Richland Hills, Instrumental Music, and the future of the Churches of Christ, Part 3

Now, all that being said, I have trouble seeing the Churches of Christ remaining a cappella for another 100 years. There are some very good reasons to seriously consider picking up a guitar or violin. First, we live in a … Continue reading

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Richland Hills, Instrumental Music, and the future of the Churches of Christ, Part 2

Church leaders considering having two different worship styles, whether instrumental or not, in two separate services have to wrestle with the risk of effectively creating two congregations that share a common building. If one service is traditional and another is … Continue reading

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Richland Hills, Instrumental Music, and the future of the Churches of Christ, Part 1

It’s well known among the Churches of Christ that our largest congregation, the Richland Hills Church of Christ in Ft. Worth, recently decided to add an instrumental Saturday night worship service to their two Sunday morning a cappella services. I … Continue reading

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Entertainment, Applause, and Worship

Recently, we received a complaint that something we were experimenting with at church is wrong because it’s “entertainment. This is not surprising. Many Church periodicals have taken to condemning various practices on the grounds that the practice is entertainment, as … Continue reading

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The Argument against the Instrument Based on History

Ultimately, the argument opposing instrumental music I find most intriguing is built on some very good history. For centuries the early church sang a cappella at a time when numerous musical instruments were available. And the early, uninspired Christian writers wrote extensively on … Continue reading

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