Contemporary Reformed Churches
Advisor: Julia Kursell Second Reader: Barbara Titus
Reforming Heritage:
The Psalm Project and Efforts to Re-introduce the Practice of Psalm-Singing into
Contemporary Reformed Churches
Introduction……….……...p. 3
Chapter 1: Heritage Studies……….…….p. 5
Chapter 2: Development of Calvinism in Europe and Abroad………p. 8
A. The Birth of Calvinism………...p. 9
B. Calvinism and the Struggle for Independence in the Netherlands……….p. 12
C. The Spread of Calvinism to the United States………..…...p. 14
D. Calvinist Theology: TULIP, Five Solas, Regulative Principle…………..………..p. 16
Chapter 3: The Development of Music in Historic Reformed Worship………..…..p. 19
A. The Genevan Psalter………..……….………..p. 22
Chapter 4: Music and Contemporary Reformed Worship……….………...p. 24
A. Reformed Worship for a Contemporary Church………..……….………...p. 26
B. Music and Reformed Corporate Worship……….………..p. 30
C. The Psalm Project and Contemporary Worship Music………..p. 39
1. Creating Stories and Building Relationships……….………p. 41
2. Considering the Audience and Representing the Congregation…….…………p. 43
3. Complete Part of a Whole………..……..p. 44
4. Cultural Relevance and Scriptural Reverence………..……..p. 47
Conclusion……….……….p. 48
Reforming Heritage:
The Psalm Project and Efforts to Re-introduce the Practice of Psalm-Singing into
Contemporary Reformed Churches Introduction
In 1956 my grandparents, John and Ena Witte, took their seven children and moved from the Netherlands to the United States where they had two more children including my mother. They settled in Grand Rapids, MI, an area populated with many other Dutch immigrants. Like many other Dutch immigrants at that time, they received a great amount of support from the church, specifically the First Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, MI. Though the family has greatly expanded over the years, they have always held on to their Dutch heritage. Most of my family members still attend the Christian Reformed Church, which can also trace its roots back to the Netherlands and the theology of John Calvin and the Netherlands Reformed Church. My family has always stressed the importance of our Dutch heritage. We grew up learning about traditions such as Sinterklaas day and eating traditional Dutch foods such as oliebollen and stroopwafels. Most of my aunts and uncles also still speak fluent Dutch, especially when having a conversation with my Oma (grandma). This is my family’s way of preserving our personal heritage. Yet there were still questions that I could not avoid. Why were these traditions important to my family? What exactly makes us the way we are? These same questions are often asked in regards to the cultural heritage of larger groups of people. Stories are told and traditions are passed down, but sometimes these stories and traditions require interpretation. In some ways, heritage is its own language that communicates little details about these people.
Heritage is a complex and difficult to define concept. It is often tied to various traditions that have developed over time. The heritage of a group or people creates a sort of language understood only by those who have participated in that culture. This heritage and these traditions often shape the culture or society to which they belong. In the same way, music is also often considered to be a type of language that can shape and give definition to a culture. There is a popular quote attributed to Victor Hugo that states “Music expressed that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.” Music is a type of language that
can communicate an idea or emotion with little to no help from words. Just as spoken languages have evolved over time, music changes as well, reflecting the time, place and people from which it originates. The treatment of music has also changed and evolved over time. This can be seen in the differences in the function of music in early Reformed worship of the 16th century
compared to that of music in Reformed worship today. When examining these differences, questions arise as to the relationship between music, theology, heritage and culture. Each of these subjects can be studied on its own as well as in conjunction with one of the other
subjects. The difficulty lies in finding where they all intersect. One such place is in the practice of Psalm-singing used in the early Reformed church.
In the early Reformed church, music was carefully crafted to fit with and enhance the text. This can especially be seen in Calvin’s assembly of the Genevan Psalter. The spread of Reformed theology was also enhanced by the popularity of the Genevan Psalter. This popularity extended beyond the church as the melodies were used by various secular composers of that time. However, as the culture of the church changed over time, so did the relationship between music and theology. Thus, the practice of Psalm-singing was seemingly forgotten and is now treated as if it is not culturally relevant for contemporary corporate worship. Nevertheless, there have been efforts in recent years to give people easier access to these melodies and to revive the practice of Psalm-singing within the Reformed church. While some of the efforts strive for historical accuracy, others have transformed the melodies into what could be labeled as ‘contemporary worship songs.’ The difference between these two approaches has led to questions concerning theology and heritage. How significant is the heritage of the Reformed church when it comes to corporate worship, especially in regards to music? Would music that is more in line with historical Reformed worship function differently than music that is more relevant to contemporary culture?
After offering some brief background information in heritage studies, this paper will examine the development of the Reformed church in the Netherlands and the United States, focusing on liturgical developments involving the use of music. This examination will also explore
contemporary discourse on worship and the function of music within corporate Reformed worship services. It will then move into a discussion of the Dutch group The Psalm Project and their efforts to revive the practice of Psalm-singing in the Reformed church by rearranging the Genevan melodies for contemporary musical settings. The Genevan Psalter will be treated as part of the heritage of the Netherlands Reformed Church and the Christian Reformed Church in the United States and will present The Psalm Project as a form of interpreting and preserving that heritage.
Chapter 1: Heritage Studies: To Protect and Preserve
Heritage is something that can be difficult to define. Webster’s dictionary defines heritage as “the traditions, achievements, beliefs, etc. that are part of the history of a group or nation.”1
This definition is rather vague and allows for various interpretations as to what exactly would constitute as heritage. Part of the difficulty could perhaps lie in that heritage itself often offers definition to the ‘group or nation’ to which it belongs. This is one of many reasons why heritage should be studied, protected and preserved so that future generations may understand the development of humanity and of one’s own culture or society. Fortunately there are
organizations such as UNESCO that are dedicated to this cause.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is one of the organizations that seeks to preserve and protect world heritage. They have compiled a list of over 1,000 sites all over the world with significant historical value to humanity and work to care for and protect these sites. According to UNESCO’s website, “Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration.”2 The study of heritage
and the work of organizations such as UNESCO has sparked many debates over what is considered ‘cultural heritage’ and how to go about protecting and preserving it.
1 “Heritage,” Merriam-Webster Online, accessed 8 May 2015, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heritage.
Heritage is quite often something that must be interpreted, or made more accessible for the general public. According to Neil A. Silberman, “Heritage interpretation…is central to
understanding the wider characteristic of heritage itself.”3 In his book Interpreting Our Heritage,
Freeman Tilden uses his experience as a United States Park Ranger to suggest that heritage is not always accessible to the general public without some sort of interpretation or explanation. While the acknowledgement of heritage interpretation is relatively recent, Tilden suggests that interpreters have existed since “the earliest cultural activities of man” and that “every great teacher has been an interpreter.”4 In order to guide the interpretation of heritage, Tilden sets
forth six principles that he later expands upon. These principles are as follows:
1. Any interpretation that does not somehow relate what is being displayed or described to something within the personality or experience of the visitor will be sterile.
2. Information, as such, is not interpretation. Interpretation is revelation based upon information. But they are entirely different things. However, all interpretation includes information.
3. Interpretation is an art, which combines many arts, whether the materials presented are scientific, historical, or architectural. Any art is in some degree teachable.
4. The chief aim of interpretation is not instruction, but provocation.
5. Interpretation should aim to present a whole rather than a part and must address itself to the whole man rather than any phase.
6. Interpretation addressed to children (say, up to the age of twelve) should not be a dilution of the presentations to adults but should follow a fundamentally different approach. To be at its best it will require a separate program. 5
While they certainly provide guidance for heritage interpreters, some believe that Tilden’s principles are outdated and inadequate for addressing contemporary issues. Silberman claims that “Tilden’s six principles of interpretation fail to address adequately the challenge of
definitively interpreting conflicting perspectives.”6 While this may be true, Tilden’s principles at
least offer a starting point and serve as a door into the discourse on heritage interpretation.
If these principles are to be used, one must first determine what it means to interpret heritage. According to Tilden, heritage interpretation is an “educational activity which aims to reveal 3 Neil A. Silberman, “Heritage Interpretation as Public Discourse,” in Understanding Heritage: Perspectives in
Heritage Studies, ed. Marie-Theres Albert, Roland Bernecker, Britta Rudolff, (Berlin: Walter de Gruyter GmbH,
2013), p. 21.
4 Freeman Tilden, Interpreting Our Heritage ed. R. Bruce Craig (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2007), p. 26.
5 Tilden, p. 34-35. 6 Silberman p. 23.
meaning and relationships through the use of original objects, by firsthand experience, and by illustrative media, rather than simply to communicate factual information.”7 In other words,
heritage interpretation is more than simply sharing historical information. Rather it is a way of uncovering the significance of historical items or information and communicating that
information in such a way that the visitors can almost experience history. Tilden’s six principles offer a fairly straightforward way of approaching this task, though not all principles apply in every situation. The principles that most closely relate to the topic of this paper are principles one, three and five. These three principles will be addressed in more detail within the analysis of the case study.
Heritage interpretation is a means of presenting heritage in such a way that it is accessible for the general public to understand, appreciate and work to protect. This is particularly important considering that heritage is not necessarily as tangible as the buildings and sites listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. In recent years progressively more attention has been paid to intangible heritage, or the elements of cultures that relate more to their way of life and include such things as language, music, dance and traditions. In her article “Heritage Studies –
Paradigmatic Reflections,” Marie-Theres Albert quotes Laurajane Smith: “Heritage is not a ‘thing’, is not a ‘site’, building or other material object. …these things…are not themselves heritage. Rather, heritage is what goes on at these sites, …Heritage, I want to suggest, is a cultural process that engages with the present, and the sites themselves are cultural tools that can facilitate, but are not necessarily vital for, this process.”8 In an article written tracing the
evolution and discourse concerning intangible heritage on a global level, Amanda Kearney claims that “the evolution of intangibility as a form of recognized cultural heritage tracks a legacy of earlier associations implicating invisibility, immateriality, incorproeality, and
disconnection.”9 This suggested invisibility does not mean that intangible heritage is insignificant
7 Tilden p. 33.
8 Laurajane Smith Uses of Heritage p. 44 quoted in Marie-Theres Albert, “Heritage Studies – Paradigmatic Reflections,” in Understanding Heritage: Perspectives in Heritage Studies, ed. Marie-Theres Albert, Roland Bernecker, Britta Rudolff, (Berlin: Walter de Gruyter GmbH, 2013), p. 13.
9 Amanda Kearney, “Intangible cultural heritage: global awareness and local interest” in Intangible Heritage ed. Laurajane Smight and Natsuko Akagawa, (London: Routledge, 2009), p. 210.
or does not exist. It simply means that it is more difficult to quantify and examine on its own, outside the context provided by the cultural group from which it originates.
Musical practices can be considered among the intangible heritage of a culture. While the musical sounds and symbols may be considered tangible, the function of music and how it is performed is not something that is always written down or recorded. Because of this, the function of music and certain performance practices are things that have often changed as the culture being examined has continued to develop. This can make it difficult to examine the development of musical practices without some insight into the culture from which they originate. In the case of Reformed Psalm-singing, the practice aided in the development of the Reformed church but was also later affected by various changes in the culture of the church. Examining these changes will hopefully shed light on ways Psalm-singing is treated not only as heritage, but also as something that could still hold meaning in contemporary corporate worship.
Chapter 2: The Development of Calvinism in Europe and Abroad
In order to understand the contemporary Reformed church and its theology, one must first examine the birth and development of the historic Reformed church. The event that transpired in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517 is perhaps one of the most important events in the history of Protestantism and Reformed theology. On that date, Martin Luther posted his famous critique of the Roman Catholic Church, commonly known as the Ninety-five Theses. Luther’s intent was not to become “the catalyst for the Protestant reformation,” but rather to start a debate and inform people of the issues with the Catholic Church.10 Through his
professorship in Wittenberg, Luther “became convinced that the essence of the gospel is the message of the justification of the godless by faith alone.”11 Luther’s intent in voicing his issues
was not to cause a rift or break from the Roman Catholic Church, but rather to spark reform and
10 Scott Hendrix “Martin Luther, Reformer”. In: (ed.) The Cambridge History of Christianity [Online], edited by R. Po-chia Hsia, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007. Accessed 07 April 2015.
http://dx.doi.org.proxy.uba.uva.nl:2048/10.1017/CHOL9780521811620.002, p. 1.
11 Karl Blei, The Netherlands Reformed Church 1571-2005, (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2006), p. 9.
renewal within the Church. He strongly believed that the laity should have direct access to God’s grace instead of being reliant on the hierarchy of priests, bishops and the pope. However, those within the Catholic Church did not share Luther’s concern which eventually lead to the
establishment of Protestantism.
Of course it is difficult to imagine what might have happened had Luther not posted his Ninety-five Theses. However, it is likely that the face of the Reformation would have been vastly different. While there were others before Martin Luther that strongly voiced the need for a reform of the Roman Catholic Church, it was Luther’s actions that truly lit the spark and started the fire that became the Protestant Reformation. As important as Luther’s actions were, Keith Randall argues that it was the words and actions of French theologian and Reformer John Calvin that took the Reformation to the next level. According to Randall, “Some historians have gone as far as claiming that, without Calvin, the Reformation would probably have died and been largely forgotten.”12 While the general accuracy of Randall’s statement could certainly be
debated, it does hold some truth in regards to the significance of Calvin’s theology, especially in regards to the Netherlands Reformed Church and eventually the Christian Reformed Church in North America. Therefore, a general understanding of Calvin’s theology is important in
understanding the history of the Reformed church and their liturgical practices.
2A: The Birth of Calvinism
In the preface to his biography on the 16th century theologian, Bruce Gordon calls John Calvin
“the greatest Protestant reformer of the sixteenth century, brilliant, visionary and iconic.”13
Though incredibly intelligent and a significant force in the Genevan Reformation, the ‘brilliant, visionary’ 16th century reformer is also a bit of a mystery. William J Bouwsma argues that “the
legend of the joyless tyrant of Geneva obscures both the real man, a humanist as much as a religious reformer, and the subtlety of his thought.”14 There is very little concrete information
available concerning Calvin’s childhood, as well as his personal life in adulthood. Many
12 Keith Randall, John Calvin and the Later Reformation, (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1990), p. 1. 13 Bruce Gordon, Calvin, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009), vii.
biographers have taken what little information is available and have attempted to reconstruct it in an effort to better understand the man behind the theology. Understanding some of this background information can be helpful in understanding Calvin’s approach to theology and why it spread the way that it did, as well as how it has affected the development of contemporary Reformed liturgy. However, focusing too much on the person of Calvin can distract from the significance of his theological developments and how they are treated today. Therefore, only a brief background will be provided on Calvin’s life in an attempt to illuminate some of the more prominent factors of Calvinist theology.
John Calvin was born in Noyon, France in 1509 and very little is known about his childhood and early education. While Calvin owed much of his education to the patronage of the aristocracy, he also “despised their immorality, their world of religious and political compromises and their addiction to material comforts.”15 This discomfort with the aristocracy later manifested itself in
Calvin’s emphasis on living piously both in public and in private. There are two large mysteries concerning Calvin that are often addressed by Reformation scholars. The first mystery revolves around Calvin’s decision to switch from studying theology to studying law in the late 1520’s. Common theories among Calvin’s biographers suggest this switch could have been out of reverence to his father, or due to Calvin’s frustration with the corruption of the nature of theology. However, most evidence seems to suggest that it was Calvin’s father who desired a career in law for his son as it would be more profitable than a career in the ministry.16
Regardless of the reason, this switch in career paths has become one of the defining events in the life of John Calvin. This switch also likely aided Calvin in his writings, especially in the creation and publication of his Institutes of the Christian Religion.
A second important and mysterious event in Calvin’s life is his 1530’s ‘conversion’ to
Reformation thinking. Much like the rest of Calvin’s personal life, there is little clear information regarding this ‘conversion,’ as Calvin himself provided two conflicting accounts of the event. In 1539 Calvin wrote to Cardinal Sadoleto suggesting that his ‘conversion’ was a gradual “shift in
15 Gordon p. 5. 16 Gordon p. 18.
allegiance from the Church of Rome to the Word of God.”17 However, in his 1557 preface to the
Psalms, Calvin speaks of his conversion as being more abrupt, drawing parallels to the conversion of the Apostle Paul. Regardless of how it happened, this conversion led Calvin to follow in the footsteps of Reformers such as Martin Luther and begin working towards a reform of the Church. While the two men had much in common and their lives overlapped significantly, Calvin and Luther never actually met.18
After leaving France in 1534 Calvin spent much of the rest of his life living as a foreigner in other countries, perhaps most famously in the Swiss cities of Basel and Geneva. It was in these cities that Calvin’s most significant contributions to the Reformation originated. After leaving France fearing persecution, Calvin made his way to Basel where he began writing the introduction for Pierre Olivétan’s French translation of the Bible and published the first edition of his Institutes of the Christian Religion in 1536. It was the Institutes that brought John Calvin to the attention of Genevan reformer Guillaume Farel, who convinced Calvin to come to assist with the
Reformation in Geneva at the end of 1536.19 In 1538 both Calvin and Farel were expelled from
Geneva due to somewhat complicated political disagreements that ended with Calvin and Farel attempting to excommunicate the entire city.20 Calvin then spent time in Strasbourg where he
worked closely with Martin Bucer, a veteran of the Reformation who saw great potential in the fiery Calvin. It was also in Strasburg that Calvin became familiar with the practice of Psalm-singing and began work on what would later become the Genevan Psalter. In 1541 Calvin returned to Geneva where he would remain and continue working until his death in 1564.
2B: Calvinism and the Struggle for Independence in the Netherlands
Over the past 500 years Calvinism and Reformed theology have spread throughout the world, usually by way of missionaries supported by Reformed churches. In its early days, Reformed ideas spread quickly through Europe and was carried to North America by various groups of colonists and immigrants. In some areas, the development of Calvinism was strongly tied to
17 Gordon p. 33. 18 Randell p. 1. 19 Bouwsma p. 69-70. 20 Randell p. 13.
political disputes as Reformed theology was not looked fondly upon by those in power. This led to a great deal of persecution, especially in France and the Low Countries. Cities such as
Geneva, Frankfurt and London became cities of refuge for those facing persecution.21 Many of
these refugees kept in contact with their family and friends back home, which also contributed to the spreading of Calvin’s ideas.
The rise of Calvinism in the Netherlands is closely tied to its struggle for the country’s independence from Spain. In the early days of the Reformation in the Netherlands, the Reformed faced persecution from both the Roman Catholic Church (church) and the Spanish authorities (state), and a number of Reformed preachers died as martyrs. Though both the church and state worked to squash the reformation, the Reformed worked that much harder to spread the new ideas.22 On November 1, 1561 the Reformed took a firm stand against the
Spanish government by drafting a “letter to the king” that became the Dutch Confession of Faith.23 As the oldest of the doctrinal standards of the Netherlands Reformed Church, and
subsequently the Christian Reformed Church, the Belgic Confession as become an important cornerstone of Reformed theology. Along with the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession has become one of the “doctrinal standards to which all officebearers in the Reformed churches were required to subscribe.”24 The confession’s chief authorship has been attributed to Guido de
Bräs who died a martyr in 1567. De Bräs was one of the refugees who had spent time in Geneva, becoming acquainted with Calvin and Theodore Beza and bringing their ideas back to the Low Countries when he returned in 1560.25 The Reformation continued to gain traction in
the Netherlands, with the people fighting both for independence from Spain and for
“government that would take sides in church affairs, a government that not only prevents ‘false preaching,’ but also prepares a clear path for and makes possible the proclamation of the ‘true
21 Alastair Duke, “Perspectives on European Calvinism,” in Calvinism in Europe, 1540 – 1620 ed. Andrew Petegree, Alastair Duke, and Gillian Lewis, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994), p. 5.
22 Blei p. 11.
23 Now known as Confessio Belgica, or the Belgic Confession.
24 “The Belgic Confession,” reformed.org, accessed 21 April 2015, http://www.reformed.org/documents/ 25 T.M. Parker, “The Development and Spread of Calvinism,” in The New Cambridge Modern History ed. R.B. Wernham 1st edition Vol. 3, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1968), p. 101.
doctrine.’”26 The first official synod of the Netherland Reformed Church (Nederlands Hervormde
Kerk) was at Emden in 1572.
As the birth of the Netherland Reformed Church was so closely tied to the struggle for political independence, the church became dependent on the new Dutch government for support, especially in regards to financing. This eventually led to some confusion as to exactly how involved the government should be in church matters. The government wanted to keep the authority to appoint Reformed pastors, select church elders from city administration, and even wanted a decisive vote in doctrinal matters. While there was some separation established between church issues and government issues, “absolute freedom from state interference was and remained an unattainable ideal […].”27 While the Netherlands Reformed Church was not a
‘state church,’ the involvement of the government did elevate the position and importance of the church within Dutch society.
This elevated position certainly had its benefits as far as encouraging the growth of the church and the spread of Calvinist theology. However, it also heightened church issues and doctrinal disagreements causing significant societal and political rifts. For example, theological
developments combined with political disagreements in the early 1800’s led to an entire faction of the church splitting off to become the Christian Reformed (Gereformeerde) Church, separate from the Netherlands Reformed (Hervormde) Church.28 While there were certainly theological
motivations for this separation, it was also heavily influenced by the 1816 decision that
established the “Church Order of 1816 as the ecclesiastical law of the land.”29 It was this act that
reestablished the Hervormde Kerk, or Netherlands Reformed Church, as the only state-supported church or religious group. Those who seceded believed that the Netherlands Reformed Church had moved away from the fundamental Reformed doctrine. Therefore, they did not agree that the Netherlands Reformed Church was the true church and believed it was
26 Blei, p. 15. 27 Blei, p. 25. 28 Blei, p. 66.
29 Elton J. Bruins and Robert P. Swierenga, Family Quarrels in the Dutch Reformed Churches in the Nineteenth
necessary to return to the strict Reformed doctrines found in the Canons of Dordt and the writings of John Calvin. This secession from the Netherlands Reformed Church is known as the Afscheiding and was made official in 1834 when Pastor Hendrik de Cock drafted the “Act of Secession and Return.” The establishment of this new seceded church also played heavily in the 1840’s wave of immigration to the United States, thus bringing strict, orthodox Reformed, Calvinist theology to America and eventually leading to the birth of the Christian Reformed Church in North America.
2C: The Spread of Calvinism in the United States
While there were already Dutch settlers in the New York and New Jersey areas, some of the largest Dutch Reformed communities were established in the Midwest beginning in the 1840’s in the wake of the secession of 1834. Not only did the secession pave the way for new waves of Dutch immigrants to the United States, but it also set the stage for another significant secession that gave birth to the Christian Reformed Church in North America. In 1857 the Christian
Reformed Church in North America was founded by a group of Dutch immigrants in West Michigan who seceded from the Protestant Dutch Church of North America (now known as the Reformed Church in America) that had been established by the in seventeenth century by the immigrants in New York and New Jersey.30 Though there are several reasons behind the
secession, one of the more interesting reasons was the desire of the Midwest immigrants to hold onto their Dutch heritage and remain separate from the American culture.
Bert Polman provides an interesting assessment of the birth of Christian Reformed worship in his article “A History of Worship in the Christian Reformed Church.” Polman claims that “The new settlers and church planters found strength in their separation from the liberal church in the Netherlands but also in their isolation from American culture, for they safeguarded their ethnic heritage and language fiercely in their new homeland.”31 This is not entirely surprising as
part of the establishment of the CRC was a return to traditional Dutch liturgy and singing of
30 Bert Polman, “A History of Worship in the Christian Reformed Church,” in The Psalter Hymnal Handbook ed. Emily R. Brink and Bert Polman (Grand Rapids, MI: Faith Alive Christian Resources, 1998), p. 114.
Dutch Psalms. The first English-language Psalter did not appear until 1914, nearly 60 years after the secession of 1857. In the 1920’s the CRC began to reexamine its liturgical practices under what Polman calls “considerable pressure from its American environment.”32 Though the
structure of the traditional Dutch liturgy remained, all of the elements were translated into English and published with the 1934 Psalter Hymnal. The publication of this hymnal is also significant in that it officially introduced hymns into corporate worship in the CRC.
The Dutch were not the only immigrants to bring Reformed theology to America. Presbyterians and Congregationalists were groups that came from Great Britain, while other groups came from Germany and France. Each group of immigrants brought their own brand of Calvinism, creating what are known as different ‘denominations.’ The continued development of these different denominations was made possible by the fact that there was no singular state religion.33 Over time, there has been some overlap in liturgical elements in these
denominations. This overlap can partially be traced back to a persistent shortage of trained pastors. The solution to the problem meant bringing in pastors from other Reformed groups. According to Marsha M. Wilfong, “Dutch Reformed pastors from Holland were recruited to serve German Reformed and French Huguenot congregations.”34 It is possible that this
cross-fertilization quickened the Americanization process in the Protestant Dutch Church of North America and was what the later Dutch immigrants were fighting against in clinging so strongly to their Dutch heritage.
2D: Calvinist Theology: TULIP, the Five Solas, and the Regulative Principle
It has been argued that Calvin’s writings were based on those of other theologians and that he essentially organized and popularized the “previously chaotic collection of Protestant
teachings.”35 The influences the early church fathers such as St. Augustine and St. John of
Chrysostom and fellow Reformers such as Luther and Bucer can certainly be seen in Calvin’s
32 Polman p. 116.
33 Marsha M. Wilfong, “Reformed Worship in the United States of America” in Christian Worship in Reformed
Churches Past and Present ed. By Lukas Vischer, (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2003): p. 107.
34 Wilfong p. 108. 35 Randell p. 39.
writing. Calvin’s emphasis was on living a life pleasing to God, and this can be seen in the theology that has come to be known as ‘Calvinism.’ As H.P. Clive suggested, Calvinism is not simply a form of systematic theology, but rather it is “a very practical and carefully disciplined way of life.”36 However, there are several theological doctrines that have become synonymous
with Calvinism. These points include the “Five Points of Calvinism” (aka TULIP), the “Five Solas,” and the Regulative Principle for Worship.
TULIP
The “Five Points of Calvinism,” or TULIP as they are often called, are perhaps the most well-known points and most disagreed upon points of Calvinist theology. These points were written as a response to the “five points” of the Arminians and were confirmed as the doctrine of salvation at the Synod of Dordt in 1618.37 These “Five Points of Calvinism” have faced a fair
amount of opposition, both from within and from outside the Reformed community. Not all who call themselves “Calvinist” agree with each of these points, though they generally represent the Calvinist view on how Christians come to be saved.38
The points are as follows: Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement,
Irresistible grace, and the Perseverance of the saints. Total depravity refers to the fall of Adam and Eve and suggests that humans are inherently and completely sinful, and that he can do no good without God. Unconditional election is the doctrine that states that God has chosen who to save not based on works or merit, but on His will alone. Limited atonement seeks to answer the question of exactly for whom Christ died, suggesting that it was only for those who God elected to save.39 Irresistible grace is the belief that those who are elected are unable to resist
36 H.P. Clive, “The Calvinist Attitude Toward Music, and It’s Literary Aspects and Sources,” Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance 19 no. 1 (1957): p. 81.
37 Arminian theology was articulated in the Five Articles of the Remonstrance in 1610. These articles claimed
Universal Prevenient Grace, Conditional Election, Unlimited Atonement, Resistible Grace, and Uncertainty of Perseverance. For more information see “Arminianism,” Theopedia.com.
38 Jonathan Barlow, “Five Points of Calvinism,” Reformed.org, accessed 23 May 2015, http://www.reformed.org/calvinism/index.html.
39 This is one of the most objected point, especially among those claiming it undermines the work of evangelism. Scriptural references for the doctrine taken from John 17:9, Matthew 26:28, and Ephesians 5:25.
the call to follow Christ. The Perseverance of the saints suggests that those who are truly saved are always saved.40
The Five Solas
Along with the “Five Points of Calvinism,” Reformation theology produced the “Five Solas”: Sola Fide (by faith alone), Sola Scriptura (by Scripture alone), Solus Christus (through Christ alone), Sola Gratia (by grace alone), and Soli Deo Gloria (glory to God alone).41 Together, these concepts
state the Calvinist belief that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone, and Christians are to treat the Scriptures as the only authority on how to live and give glory to God alone. Much like the “Five Points of Calvinism,” the Five Solas have been the cause of some disagreement among Reformed churches. This is especially true regarding the concept of Sola Scriptura and its applications concerning corporate worship.
The concept of Sola Scriptura embodies the belief that “The Bible alone teaches all that is necessary for our salvation from sin and is the standard by which all Christian behavior must be measured.”42 Problems tend to arise when people argue over how to interpret certain parts or
passages of Scripture. For example, some people would say that the laws found in the book of Leviticus are no longer relevant, or that the guidelines for living found in the New Testament no longer apply in contemporary Western culture. This argument is also often applied to how corporate worship should be conducted. While there is certainly a good deal of interpretation needed when reading the Bible, the passages in questions cannot be completely disregarded for they still hold valuable information and guidance in regards to Christian life and corporate worship. It is the concept of sola scriptura that is also at the heart of the debate over the Regulative and Normative principles of worship.
The Regulative Principle
The Regulative Principle of Worship and its counterpoint, the Normative Principle, are two concepts specifically concerning corporate worship that have grown out of Reformed theology.
40 Barlow, “Five Points of Calvinism.”
41 “Five Solas,” theopedia.com, accessed 19 May 2015, http://www.theopedia.com/Five_Solas. 42 “Five Solas,” theopedia.com.
When discussing Reformed theology of worship it is important to first distinguish between elements, forms, and circumstances. The elements included in a liturgy are the things such as prayer, scripture reading, administration of the sacraments, and sung praise that are prescribed for use by the Scriptures. The forms these elements take can often vary. For example, singing can be done a cappella or with instrumental accompaniment. Congregations can sing hymns and Psalms or praise songs. Scripture passages can be read, sung, or presented as a drama. The circumstances are issues that often relate to time and place of the worship services where the Bible does not give much instruction.
The concepts of the Regulative and Normative principles were developed to aid in conversations about corporate worship. While most Reformed churches seem to agree on the elements to be included in a corporate worship service, disagreement often comes in terms of the forms these elements should take. Most Reformed churches believe that “We must worship God according to His self-revelation.”43 The Regulative Principle suggests that the only things allowed in
corporate worship are the things that God has specifically prescribed in the scripture. This would mean that things such as theatrical skits, ‘special music,’ PowerPoint presentations and video clips (among other things) would be prohibited in corporate worship. According to the Regulative principle, the only things actually allowed in the worship service would have been the reading of scripture, prayers, singing of Psalms, a sermon, and the celebration of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The Normative Principle, on the other hand, claims that “general norms are given but whatever is not expressly forbidden by Scripture in worship is permitted.”44 These principles have become the topic of heavy debate especially in
contemporary churches. Traditionally, Reformed churches have followed the guidance of the Reformed principle. However, interpreting the Scripture in light of contemporary culture has become more difficult especially in regards to worship. This will be discussed in more detail in the following chapter.
43 Terry L. Johnson, Reformed Worship: Worship That is According to Scripture, (Jackson, MS: Reformed Academic Press, 2000), p. 23.
Chapter 3: The Development of Music in Historic Reformed Worship
One of the most significant changes brought about by Calvin and the later Reformation were changes to corporate worship and liturgy. The Reformers were very unhappy with the state of corporate worship in the Catholic Church. According to Elsie Anne McKee, “Based on their renewed understanding of Scripture and of the way human being receive God’s justifying grace through faith alone, Protestants thought the kind of worship they had inherited dishonored God in a number of ways.”45 Thus, the Reformers believed that corporate worship needed to be
reformed as well. The reformation of corporate worship can be seen as an effect of the theological developments, often reflecting the doctrine of the ‘Five Solas’ and the Regulative principle or worship. Terry L. Johnson comments on historic Reformed worship practices in his book Worshipping with Calvin: Recovering the Historic Ministry and Worship of Reformed Protestantism, stating that “Reformed worship took the shape it did not because of the taste or style preferences or ethnicity of the Reformers, but because of the theology that lay behind it. Reformed worship gave expression to the convictions of Reformed theology.”46 Johnson’s
statement here is significant in that it points to a particular tradition of worship that in some cases is tied to the heritage of the church. This can be seen especially in the birth and history of the Christian Reformed Church in North America. The Dutch settlers held so strongly to their traditions of Reformed worship that they broke off from the existing church to establish a new denomination.
One of the strongest of these theological convictions was that everything, including corporate worship, should be guided by the Scriptures. This led to the Protestant belief that “humans do not choose for themselves how to worship God; they learn from God’s word what is pleasing to the Lord.”47 Therefore, much can be learned about historic Reformed worship by examining
what the Scriptures say concerning both corporate and private worship. When reading the Scriptures, one finds passages such as Hebrews 12:28-29. “Therefore let us be grateful for
45 Elsie Anne McKee, “Reformed Worship in the Sixteenth Century” in Christian Worship in Reformed Churches
Past and Present ed. Lukas Vischer (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eermands Publishing Company, 2003), p. 8.
46 Terry L. Johnson, Worshipping with Calvin Worshipping with Calvin: Recovering the Historic Ministry and
Worship of Reformed Protestantism, (Darlington: EP Books, 2014), p. 54.
receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”48 It is from passages such as this that
Christians, especially those in the Reformed tradition, have come to ask the question “What exactly constitutes acceptable worship?” For the Reformers, this meant using only elements specifically called for in scripture, such as prayer, song, Scripture reading, preaching, and the celebration of the sacraments of Lord’s Supper and baptism. Within the early Reformed churches there were several schools of thought on what exactly this service was to look like, especially in regards to music. Martin Luther had a very high view of music, going so far as to say that “next to the word of God, music deserves the highest praise…Thus is was not without reason that the fathers and prophets wanted nothing else to be associated as closely with the Word of God as music.”49 On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, Zürich Reformer
Huldrych Zwingli (1484-1531) completely rejected the use of music and visual arts in corporate worship.50 John Calvin arguably consolidated these different opinions into what would become a
common liturgy for Reformed worship, some elements of which are still used in today’s Reformed churches.
While it is often noted that Calvin may not have created an entirely original liturgy, he used the influences of Zwingli and Martin Bucer to create a singular format that would be used in Reformed churches for centuries. Some elements of this liturgy are still used in corporate worship services of contemporary Reformed churches. As Elsie Anne McKee states, “the way Calvin shaped what he inherited made it something new and powerful.”51 This new liturgy was
completely based in the Scriptures and included only those elements which were called for in the Bible. The following is an example of the order of a 1562 Genevan Calvinist Service of the Word and Sacrament:
Liturgy of the Word Psalm
48 Hebrews 12:28-29 (ESV).
49 Martin Luther in his preface to Georg Rhau’s Symphoniae incundae (Wittenberg, 1538): quoted by Peter Bergquist, “Germany and Central Europe, 1520-1560” in European Music 1520-1640 ed. James Haar (Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2006), p. 331-332.
50 McKee p. 12. 51 McKee p. 16.
Invocation Confession of Sin Psalm
Minister’s Prayer for Illiumination-Sealing Biblical Text and Sermon-Exposition Liturgy of the Table
Confession of Faith (Apostle’s Creed) Decalogue (sung)
Scripture and Exhortation Distribution of the Sacrament Thanksgiving
Song of Simeon Benediction52
This change in liturgy was an effect of the renewed focus on the Scriptures. Translated Bibles were now being made more readily available to the general public. Calvin strongly believed that “preaching of the Word was one of the most critical factors that needed to be re-introduced and maintained as a vital part of corporate worship.”53 This type of liturgical structure was used in
Reformed churches throughout Europe and North America well into the twentieth century and can still be found in some contemporary Reformed churches especially in Europe. However, North American Reformed churches have seen greater liturgical changes since the late twentieth century as influenced by the Evangelical and Charismatic movements.54 These
changes will be discussed in more detail in the following chapter.
According to Charles Garside Jr., “The singing of the psalms was one of the incontestably distinguishing marks of Calvinist culture in Europe and America in the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries.”55 Calvin greatly encouraged the singing of the Psalms as the Scriptures
specifically indicate that Christians should be “singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.”56
In his Institutes, Calvin states, “Still we do not condemn words or singing, but rather greatly
52 Taken from McKee p. 24. 53 McKee p. 17.
54 Wilfong p. 131. 55 Garside Jr. p. 5.
commend them, provided the feeling of the mind goes along with them.”57 Calvin also suggests
that “if singing is tempered to a gravity befitting the presence of God and angels, it both gives dignity and grace to sacred actions, and has a very powerful tendency to stir up the mind to true zeal and ardor in prayer.”58 Calvin certainly understood the power of music when used in
corporate worship and encouraged its use. However, Calvin was also keenly aware of “the possibility and danger of human misuse of music in the service of vanity and sensuality.”59
Therefore, Calvin greatly limited the use of performed music in the new Reformed liturgies, eliminating the use polyphony and instrumental accompaniment. According to Robin A. Leaver, “The numerous biblical injunctions to sing the psalms could not be ignored, and therefore Calvin argues that a simple, dignified congregational psalmody was required for Reformed worship.”60 This belief led Calvin to initiate the process of versifying and translating the Psalms
into French and setting them to music appropriate for each text, a process that would later lead to the production of what is now commonly known as the Genevan Psalter.
3A: The Genevan Psalter
Perhaps the most famous of Calvin’s contributions to Reformed liturgy was his work on assembling the Genevan Psalter. The Genevan Psalter was used in Reformed churches across Europe for nearly three hundred years, and some of the melodies can still be found in hymnals today. Calvin began the project during his exile in Strasbourg, publishing the first edition in 1539 under the title Aulcuns pseaulmes et cantiques mys en chant. This version included nineteen Psalms set to eighteen melodies, as well as song settings of the Song of Simeon and the Ten Commandments.61 While Calvin’s contributions and influence were certainly important in the
assembly of the Psalter, it was truly a collaborative effort between Calvin, Clèment Morot, Theodore Beza, and Guillaume Franc, as well as composers Louis Bourgeois and “Maistre
57 John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 3.20.31, translated by Harry Beveridge, Esq., reformed.org, Accessed 1 June 1, 2015, http://www.reformed.org/calvinism/index.html
58 Calvin, Institutes, 3.20.32.
59Walter Blankenburg, “Church Music in Reformed Europe,” in Protestant Church Music ed. Friedrich Blume (London: Victor Gollancz LTD, 1975), p. 516.
60 Robin A. Leaver, “The Reformation and Music” in European Music 1520 – 1640 ed. James Haar (Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2003), p. 394.
61 David T. Koyzis, “Introduction to the Genevan Psalter,” genevanpsalter.redeemer.ca accessed 30 May 2015, http://genevanpsalter.redeemer.ca/psalter_intro.html.
Pierre.”62 Further editions were published in Geneva in 1542, 1543, 1549, 1551, 1556 and finally
in 1561 with each edition including more Psalms. The completed 1561 Psalter included versifications of all 150 Psalms set to 125 different melodies.
The Genevan Psalter quickly gained popularity across Europe. It was translated into nearly a dozen different languages including German, Dutch and English. While the Genevan Psalter was widely used in continental Europe, it failed to catch on in the same way in England and Scotland. There are some Genevan melodies that appear in English and Scottish songbooks, though they are often set to different texts. The Genevan Psalter did gain a large amount of popularity in the Netherlands, especially after Petrus Dathenus translated the Psalter from French into Dutch. Dathenus was a Dutch refugee who had spent time in England and Frankenthal. Dathenus’ translation was taken directly from the French edition and was published a mere four years after the first complete French edition was published.63 His translation also included the liturgy used
in the Palatinate region of Germany. This Palatinate liturgy included the Heidelberg Catechism, which later became one of the confessions of the Netherlands Reformed Church and Christian Reformed Church in the United States. At the end of the eighteenth century the concept of atmosphere became an important element in worship services, with the Lord’s Supper being celebrated in the evening by candlelight and special emphasis being placed on the suffering of Jesus during Good Friday services. It was also at this point that the Dutch congregations began requesting a new translation of the Psalms. Churgoers began to find Datnenus’ translation unbearable due to its “coarse poetic imagery” and in 1773 a new translation of the Genevan Psalms was published.64 While the translations and versifications of the Psalms were updated at
this time, the new Psalter publications still used the original Genevan melodies.65
62 It is unknown exactly to whom “Maistre Pierre” refers, though it was suggested to be Pierre Davantès l’aîné who was cantor at St. Peter’s in Geneva beginning in 1556. See Blankenburg p. 520 and Koyzis “Introduction”
63 Polman p. 109.
64 Bruno Bürki, “Reformed Worship in Continental Europe since the Seventeenth Century,” in Christian Worship in
Reformed Churches Past and Present ed. Lukas Vischer (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eermands Publishing
Company, 2003), p. 42.
65 Albert Dunning, "Calvin, Jean." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, Accessed 1 June 2015, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.uba.uva.nl:2048/subscriber/article/grove/music/04620.
The Genevan Psalter was not only popular within the Reformed Church, but also received attention from secular composers of the time. While the melodies were sung in unison when used in worship services, there were a significant number of composers who set the Genevan melodies for four to eight-part harmony. Some of the most famous settings are by composers such as Claude Goudimel, Claude Le June, and Dutch composer Jan Pieterzoon Sweelink.66
Sweelink’s arrangement was “almost the only polyphonic arrangement of the Genevan Psalter created on Dutch soil at this time [and] is at the same time the most famous and important of them all […].”67 These arrangements often employed musical devices common in secular music
of the time. Sweelinck’s arrangements in particular make use motet style and displayed a personality and passion often found in Italian early Baroque music. While these arrangements used the Genevan melodies, there was certainly “no trace of Calvinist sobriety and strictness.”68
Though\\ these polyphonic settings were not allowed to be used in Reformed worship at the time, they certainly attest to the popularity of the Genevan Psalter beyond its use in the Reformed church.
Chapter 4: Music and Contemporary Reformed Worship
The past several decades have seen several significant changes in Reformed worship, especially in regards to music. Many Reformed churches no longer exclusively sing the Psalms, and
churches especially in the United States seem to have all but abandoned the tradition of Psalm-singing. These changes in Reformed worship have sparked many discussions over what
Reformed worship in contemporary churches should look like. One of the biggest arguments in these churches has been over the music used in corporate worship services. Hymns or praise songs? Organs or electric guitars and drum sets? Unfortunately for these churches, there are seemingly no clear answers to these questions. This lack of a clear solution has caused problems and has even led to more splits and secessions, much like that which gave birth to the Christian Reformed Church. However, examining the relationship between music and theology may help to shed some light on the issue.
66 Dunning. "Calvin, Jean." Grove Music Online. 67 Blankenburg, p. 567.
The relationship between music and theology is multidimensional, complex, and at times, very confusing. Part of the difficulty comes in defining each term individually. As previous mentioned the term ‘music’ can refer to sounds, symbols, or even the act of making music. In the same way, ‘theology’ can refer generally to the study of God or religion, or it can refer to a specific system of religious beliefs. Therefore, music and theology can, and often do, intersect at different levels. As suggested by Jeremy S. Begbie and Steven R. Guthrie, music can serve theology and vice versa. The different perspectives within each approach can vary as well.69
While the discourse on the relationship between music and theology has produced some very helpful concepts, it has also raised a great deal of questions and caused intense arguments over the use of elements such as music in corporate worship services.
In this discourse, there are also interesting questions raised regarding music and heritage in the Reformed church. One example of this involves the Afscheiding of 1834. Along with establishing the Netherlands Reformed Church as “the only state-supported religious body,” the royal decree of 1816 also mandated the use of hymns from the new hymnal, De Evangelische Gezangen. Along with those who disagreed with the political changes, there were also those who refused to sing “the ‘man-made songs,’ which they thought smacked of Arminianism.”70 This opposition
to hymn-singing followed with those that immigrated to the United States where there was a return to Psalm-singing and exclusive use of the Dutch Psalter. While there were certainly theological motivations behind this decision, the immigrants also strongly desired to preserve their Dutch heritage. This leads to questions over how to analyze the development of music used in corporate Reformed worship. Should it be analyzed according to theological
developments? Or according to developments in cultural and heritage studies?
Many of the current disagreements concerning music in corporate worship arise out of analysis according to musical developments. However, many of the underlying issues appear to be more
69 Jeremy S. Begbie and Steven R. Guthrie, Introduction to Resonant Witness: Conversations Between Music and
Theology ed. Jeremy S. Begbie and Steven R. Guthrie (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company,
2011), p. 9-10.
based in theological issues. While musical styles have changed greatly over the past centuries, the importance of musical practices in public Christian worship settings has remained steady. Because this relationship is so strong, a change in how corporate worship is perceived and understood would likely change how the elements in worship are used. In recent years a changing theology concerning corporate worship in many Reformed churches in the United States has altered the way liturgical music is used. This change has fed the arguments over what musical style is appropriate for worship. In examining this shift, one will be able to see that reconsidering the musical practices and the way music is treated in Reformed corporate worship could lead to a resolution concerning musical style.
4A: Reformed Worship for a Contemporary Church
One of the reasons the Dutch immigrated to the United States in the nineteenth century was for the freedom to worship and practice their religion without fear of persecution. In the United States, there was (and still is) no single, state church. There are possibly hundreds of different denominations and many different churches within these denominations, each with its own vision concerning corporate worship. In general, the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) tends to lean more towards historic Reformed worship with hymn-singing, Scriptural prayers and
confessions of faith. However, there are several churches within the CRC denomination that are beginning to lean more towards charismatic, evangelical worship style relying heavily on
contemporary worship songs and impromptu prayers and testimonies. There can even be a variety of styles found within a single church. The website for a particular CRC congregation in California states, “Our worship is ‘unified’ in the sense that we incorporate different styles of musical and non-musical expressions into our worship.”71 However, it is possible that
incorporating so many different elements and styles may in fact lead to division and discord rather than to unity.
One of the biggest problems appears to be a shift in how the function of corporate worship is perceived. Sixteenth century Reformers such as John Calvin were firm in their belief that
71 “Worship,” Modesto Christian Reformed Church, accessed 8 June 2015, http://www.modestocrc.org/worship.cfm.
worship should be God-centered, according to Scripture and saturated with Scripture. One of the main Scriptural references used to support historic Reformed worship is found in John 4. In the passage, Jesus tells a Samaritan woman that “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”72 However, contemporary churches seem to be more concerned
with staying culturally relevant rather than remaining true to their Reformed roots, often believing that historic Reformed worship is too strict and inappropriate for contemporary American culture. In order to properly analyze the situation, one must understand what it means to worship ‘in spirit and in truth’ and how it is or can be applied to worship in contemporary churches.
In his book Reformed Worship: Worship that is According to Scripture, Terry L. Johnson
proposes that worship ‘in spirit and in truth’ is worship that is of the right heart and motive and is “according to God’s revelation of truth.”73 According to Johnson, this means that there are two
sides of worship; its heart (spirit) and its form and content (truth). Both aspects are important in considering how worship is meant to function and what it is meant to do. In many
contemporary Reformed churches in the United States, a stronger emphasis is being placed on the heart and experience of worship. It seems that many churches are becoming more
concerned about the comfort and pleasure of the congregation, especially in regards to things such as clothing, than they are about what is and is not respectful in worship. They seem to think that as long as it comes from the right place, God will approve. In regards to clothing, one particular church claimed that “Your inward attention to God is what matters most, so as long as it doesn’t distract from the worship of others, wear what makes you comfortable.”74 This same
attitude has also affected how the elements of the liturgy such as music, prayer and confession are treated.
This mentality has come about along with a shift in the aim and purpose of corporate worship. In his book Worshipping with Calvin, Johnson presents several ‘detours’ corporate worship has
72 John 4:24 (ESV).
73 Johnson, Reformed Worship, p. 20.
taken in the past several decades. One of the most popular of these ‘detours’ is that the
purpose of corporate worship is evangelism, or “the spreading of the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness.”75 With church attendance dropping, many churches are trying
to make their corporate worship services more appealing to non-churchgoers in an attempt to evangelize and increase attendance. In Johnson’s experience, a “conscious effort was made to create a warm, welcoming, friendly mood […]. There was almost no prayer […]. There was almost no Scripture read. The sermon was not an exposition of Scripture.”76 These types of
churches are often called ‘seeker-friendly’ churches, aiming at accommodating the
non-churched and those ‘seeking’ a church home. The services may follow a structure similar to that of historic Reformed worship services, but the content is less based in Scripture and Reformed theology in an attempt to appeal to those who have felt that historic Reformed worship was too intellectual and rigid.
Other forms of contemporary corporate worship have become focused on the experience of each of the participants. There has been increased concern over how worship makes the worshipper feel and how they benefit from it, rather than whether or not it is pleasing to God. In these churches, worship tends to take a more informal form, often opening with around 20 minutes of praise music, followed by a short Scripture reading and a topical sermon with impromptu prayers.77 Johnson claims that although this “charismatic-style praise gets closer to
the truth” of God-centered worship, it still “becomes increasingly about the individual and his or her experience.”78 Corporate worship then becomes more concerned with the comfort and
preferences of the individual rather than the goal of praising and worshipping God.
These ‘seeker-friendly’ and experience oriented services aim at bringing in younger members and making the church ‘culturally relevant,’ but rarely consider the spiritual health of current members or of the church as a whole. One of the ways this is done is through the use of musical
75 “Evangelism,” Oxford Dictionaries Online, Accessed 03 August 2015,
oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/American_english/evangelism?q=evangelism. 76 Johnson, Worshipping p. 67-68.
77 Wilfong, p. 139.
styles closer related to secular culture. Eileen Luhr presents and extreme example of this in her article “Metal Missionaries to the Nation: Christian Heavy Metal Music, “Family Values,” and Youth Culture, 1984-1994.” Luhr begins with a story of Christian metal band Stryken interrupting and being kicked out of a Motley Crüe concert on June 26, 1987. While Luhr does suggest that “It was not uncommon for Christian bands to attend secular concerts…in order to keep current on musical trends,” Stryken attended this specific concert in order to evangelize in a way suited to this particular culture.79 According to Luhr, Stryken entered wearing full body armor, carrying
a large cross, and forced their way onto the stage to begin preaching the Gospel to the concertgoers. The band was attempting to Christianize the secular culture that Heavy Metal music is known for.
While Luhr’s example is quite extreme, it does represent a current trend in American churches to bring in members by making corporate worship entertaining. While these contemporary services often look good on the outside, they rarely contain the Biblical content so often found in historic Reformed worship. They also run contrary to even the basic definition of worship, not to mention the type of worship developed from the Reformed theology that many of these churches claim to follow. How then can Reformed worship remain true to the theology upon which it is based while also attempting to be relevant in contemporary culture?
4B: Music and Reformed Corporate Worship
Music is one of the easiest liturgical elements to examine in terms of current trends in Reformed corporate worship. As Johnson pointed out, one of the current movements in
Reformed churches in the United States is the use contemporary or ‘pop’ music. However, much like using corporate worship for evangelism, there are problems that arise with the
‘contemporary worship music’ movement. The term ‘contemporary worship music’ is incredibly vague. It encompasses a wide range of musical styles and artists from heavy rock bands such as Switchfoot and Flyleaf to singer/songwriters such as Michael W. Smith and Chris Tomlin. Many of these artists take musical styles popular in the United States and ‘Christianize’ them. They
79 Eileen Luhr, “Metal Missionaries to the Nation: Christian Heavy Metal Music, “Family Values,” and Youth Culture, 1984-1994,” American Quarterly 57 no. 1, (2005): p. 103.
use popular styles of music such as pop or rock, but simply add Christian lyrics. However, these lyrics tend not to include much strong Biblical content and are quite repetitive with the little Scriptural content they do include. The increasing reliance on this type of music in Reformed corporate worship services no longer fully represents the principles that the Reformed faith was founded upon, especially that of Sola Scriptura. Thus Reformed churches are faced with the challenge of making the music used in worship both culturally relevant and representative of Reformed theology. The concluding comment in Wilfong’s article on Reformed church in the United States perfectly sums up this challenge. She argues that “the divide between the desire for contemporary relevancy and a commitment to the tradition and unity of the church appears to be widening, and may well be the greatest challenge facing Reformed churches in the United States as the twenty-first century unfolds.”80
One of the important things to keep in mind when discussing Reformed worship is that there is a difference between the elements included, the forms these elements take, and the
circumstances that are dependent on time and place. Many of the arguments concerning Reformed worship, especially in regards to music, are over the form of the elements rather than over the presence of certain elements. There is no doubt that music in an integral part of corporate worship, as numerous Scripture verses call for the singing of ‘Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.”81 However, churches often disagree over the function of music within worship
and which styles are appropriate especially in a corporate setting. One of the scripture passages that often arise in these arguments is from 1 Corinthians 10: 23-24. This passage states, “’All things are lawful,’ but not all is helpful. ‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.”82 In context, this verse is speaking about
doing everything for the glory of God, though it could certainly be applied specifically to music and corporate worship. However, the question remains, “How does one determine what is ‘lawful’ or acceptable concerning the use of music in worship?” In their article “Music in Reformed Churches Worldwide,” Emily R. Brink and John D. Witvliet uncover four insights that
80 Wilfong p. 140.
81 Specifically referenced in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 82 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 (ESV).
have arisen from recent efforts to establish the proper place and function of music in Reformed worship. According to Brink and Witvliet, these insights “provide a rudder for negotiating the current sea of change.”83
Music should serve to enact the relationship we have with God in Christ. According to Brink and Witvliet, “all liturgical music must support the actions of the assembly of Christian worship.”84
For Reformed churches, the main action of ‘the assembly of Christian worship’ is to enter into communication with God through prayer, confession of sin, praise for His goodness, and intercession for divine intervention. For Brink and Witvliet, the main purpose of worship music should be to allow for gathered congregations to communicate with God and enact the
relationship they have with Him through Christ.
Emotions can play a significant role in any relationship, including that between God and the church. In his article “Faithful Feelings: Music and Emotion in Worship,” Jeremy S. Begbie addresses the connection between emotions and faithful Christian worship. He argues that one of the marks of faithful worship is that “it is properly oriented – primarily to God, and, in the power of the Spirit, to others with whom we worship, and to the world we represent and to which we are sent […]. Properly oriented, faithful worship will also be appropriate – to God, others, and the world.”85 According to Begbie, when worship is properly oriented, the emotions
connected to it will be as well, for “the danger does not lie in emotion per se, but in emotion that is not properly directed and/or not appropriate.”86 Begbie also suggests that faithful
worship is also a “uniting activity.” Not only can it unite the church to each other, but it can also unite the church to God through “the love that is eternally given and received between Father and Son.”87 This love and unity is an enactment of the relationship God has with the church
through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Emotions can be instrumental in creating and sustaining
83 Emily R. Brink and John D. Witvliet, “Music in Reformed Churches Worldwide,” in Christian Worship in Reformed
Churches Past and Present, (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2003), p. 347.
84 Brink and Witvliet, p. 339.
85 Jeremy S. Begbie, “Faithful Feelings: Music and Emotion in Worship,” in Resonant Witness: Conversations
Between Music and Theology, (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2011) p. 336.
86 Begbie, “Faithful Feelings,” p. 336. 87 Begbie, “Faithful Feelings,” p. 337.
