Saturday, May 3, 2008

Women and Judgement

Today I ran a music workshop for the Chinese Christian Church. It was a good thing to do, but I felt very unqualified to do it! They have perhaps the most efficient music co-ordinator I've ever come across. She has chosen 'team leaders' for each music team, job descriptions for each member, dress codes, permanent practice schedules, prayer meetings ... Seven years ago she was the church's only musician. There were 25 people at the training day today. Wow!

Before we got our instruments out, I talked for a while about what the bible says about music. We started by talking about songs in the bible eg. Moses' song (Ex 15), Hannah's song (1 Sam 2), Mary's song (Luke 2), Revelation, Psalms etc. In preparing, I noticed a couple of interesting things that I hadn't thought of before:
  • We hear women's voices more in song than in regular speech in the bible. Deborah, Hannah and Mary get verses and verses! And don't forget the Song of Songs where the female voice is given half the book!
So is it okay for women to teach men - as long as they do it in verse? (As a sometimes-lyricist, this idea has appeal!)
  • God's judgment of his enemies is a major theme in all of the biblical songs. And God's people seem to bask in it.
Should it be a more prominent theme of our songs?

What do you think?
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5 comments:

  1. Gordon ChengMay 3, 2008 at 10:43 PM

    Good observation, Simone. It is not just the statement of judgement, there is delight in it!

    "“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
    the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
    2 The Lord is my strength and my song,
    and he has become my salvation;
    this is my God, and I will praise him,
    my father's God, and I will exalt him.
    3 The Lord is a man of war;
    the Lord is his name."

    Not for the faint-hearted! And surely not sung as a cheerful ditty in rounds.

    I don't know if you are into classical music, but even if not, have a listen to Handel's take on these verses in Israel in Egypt. He gets it, I think.

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  2. Simone R.May 3, 2008 at 11:29 PM

    Thanks Gordon. I'll chase up the Handel.

    So would you sing a God's-enemies-sinking-like-lead-in-the-sea song if we wrote one nicely?

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  3. IanMay 4, 2008 at 8:49 AM

    Come on, there must be a dozen happy songs about Pharoah's army getting drowned…

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  4. Laetitia :-)May 4, 2008 at 3:25 PM

    Maybe God's just subversive. :-) I mean, there are all these blokes (and not a few women too) who have a real thing against women 'teaching' men, but are quire happy for them to be singing and song writing. Now, you tell me, when you leave a service, what stays with you the longest - something the speaker said or the songs that get stuck in your head!

    Then there's the whole bit about teaching each other with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs; that everyone has a place and something to say / share in turn to build up the body of Christ - this is for all of us, not just a select few...and don't get me started on the whole paganism of the modern preacher-centred Sunday service - just read Frank Viola's book "Pagan Christianity" instead. :-)

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  5. Gordon ChengMay 4, 2008 at 9:21 PM

    This gives you about a minute of each track. My favourite is "Thou didst blow with the wind", Disc II No. 10 on this site.

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