Monday, April 14, 2008

Music Study-The Carnal vs. The Spiritual Mind

I have dedicated Monday nights (the time that I would normally be in choir rehearsal) to the study of music as it pertains to worship. God placed the text of Romans 8:6,7 on my heart. For to be carnally is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be.

How does this verse apply to music? Is it possible that the music that the spiritual mind would be attracted to is different than the music that the carnal mind would be attracted to?

Why is it that today the music that we sing is geared toward the unchurched, the carnally minded? When conversion takes place and you become a new creature and everything about your life changes, would not the music that you listen to change as well?

Why do you listen to the music that you listen to? Would you listen to it in the living room of your heavenly mansion?

7 comments:

  1. I have thought about this. Do we sing the music we like, or the music God likes when we are worshiping Him? How can we know what He likes. I think there are some clues around. I am seeking to know what God likes, and though I can't know for certain, it seems there is some music that is just for Him.

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  2. "What CM methods have you incorporated into your teaching?"

    This is our first year using CM's methods so from the beginning of our year, I have slowly introduced her methods into our homeschool. We use a CM approached history and science but we also do nature studies, narration, dictation, copywork,etc. We use a lot of literature in our studies. My oldest takes music lessons and the younger ones will take them this year also. We are introducing habits with our character studies and just life learning altogether. It took 2 years for me to get out of the traditional textbook or ps way of thinking and my dh just about 4 years. We have finally come to the realization that the ps way is not the way that's best for our dc in order for learning to take place. I hope that helped.

    Have a blessed day!

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  3. That's a good point. If we want to reach out the unchurched, why use carnally minded music? Does it mean we aren't as spiritually minded as we thought?

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  4. Wow, what food for thought! Thanks for posting this. I am enjoying your blog:)

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  6. It is very Biblical to distinguish between spiritual and fleshly (carnal) music. I love Elizabeth Joy's question about who we are trying to please.

    Colossians 3:15-17 says,
    (15) And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
    (16) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
    (17) And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

    Eph 5:18 uses the same phrase "Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs"


    Psalms – specifically the OT book of Psalms (the root word means to strum and instrument)

    Hymns – Songs specifically to God (In NT times there were songs referred to as "hymns" used in pagan temples to worship pagan gods also, so it has the idea of deity oriented)

    Songs – Any musical song, like a bar song or a children’s song; in this case it is specified that these must be “spiritual” as opposed to “carnal” or fleshly songs.

    There are several aspects which might make a song carnal: 1)words, 2)melody (or lack of), 3)harmony (or lack of), and 4) presentation (which often is self glorifying performance)

    The trouble is how to tell the difference. Our own tastes are so subjective. Perhaps if any of these aspects could be confused with the world, then it is worldly. "Holy" means separate, and different. The flesh does not like it, but it rejoices the heart.

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-yolanda