Share this page

Portland, Oregon, 2017
Portland, Oregon, 2017
Jefferson City, Missouri, 2018
Jefferson City, Missouri, 2018
Jefferson City, Missouri, 2021
Jefferson City, Missouri, 2021

Photos 4:  Portable Keyboards/Hymn Singing


"... praise Him [God] with stringed instruments and organs [pipe]."  (Ps. 150:4) KJV


NO OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

ON THE FACE OF THIS EARTH

PRAISES GOD IN HEAVEN

WITH SUCH GROUND SHAKING FORCE

AS THE PIPE ORGAN.


WE GIVE THANKS FOR ORGAN MUSIC


MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH YOU,


THE ORGANIST


Those who peruse this website may wonder about the generous space they find devoted to explaining and understanding what it means to follow God in this life, to rightly divide His Word, and to be saved by grace through faith in Christ and the work of His cross.  They may feel that none of this pertains to performing at the organ. 

Oh.  yes.  it.  does.


Faith comes by HEARING (Rom. 10:17).

Something a person HEARS

causes their faith to rise.


THE STORY OF SALVATION,

OF BEING SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH

[AND THAT GOD KEEPS US BY GRACE]

NEEDS TELLING.

IT'S THE ORGANIST'S JOB

in worship

TO TELL IT IN MUSIC.


The whole point of salvation is that people who are saved by repentance, receiving Christ, and trusting Him in all things going forward might come into the presence of and fellowship with God robed in His righteousness -- this in order to stand before God, to be able to see the fullness of His glory blazing from His throne in the New Jerusalem in the center of the new heaven and the new earth, and to be with Him FOREVER [See menu bar, Home Page].


The contribution organists make to worship

in places where they exercise their art

plays an especially critical role

in God's rescue plan for man.

That role extends past

the weekly fee-for-service pressing of keys.


CERTAIN THINGS NEED TO BE KEPT IN MIND

BY ALL WHO ASPIRE TO PLAY THE GOD INSTRUMENT.

THEY ARE ABOUT TO BE INVOLVED IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE.


SATAN IS NOT IMAGINARY.

HE IS NOT FICTITIOUS.

HE IS NOT SOME NEBULOUS CONCEPT.

HE IS A REAL SENTIENT BEING,

an ambush predator who counts upon the curiosity of his prey. 

WHEN HE SAW AN OPENING 

HE SPOKE DIRECTLY TO,

QUESTIONED THE AUTHORITY OF,

TRIED TO TEMPT,

AND THEN OFFERED A DEAL TO

THE SON OF GOD (Matt. 4:1-11).

MAN-MADE CONCEPTS AND FICITIOUS CHARACTERS

DO NOT COMMUNICATE IN REAL TIME LIKE THIS.


Scripture teaches that three deadly enemies are standing in the way of this fellowship and poised to prey upon our precious lives:  1) our own sinful human nature, 2) this world and its ways, and 3) Satan the devil.  Anyone who loves God cannot also embrace this present evil world or the things in it (1John 2:15-16).  This is because God originally created and placed this earth in the bosom of the angelic being Lucifer who started out perfect in his ways until something, brought on by pride in his own beauty, went terribly wrong in his thinking (Isa. 14:12-14).  Though he made himself into a satan [meaning "adversary, accuser"] of God he is still being allowed, for the time being, to encircle this world and rule it (John 14:30, 2Cor. 4:4, Gal. 1:4).  Knowing that God has in store an eternal sentence in a lake of fire as just punishment for him and the angels under his sway and that he's been outsmarted by the mystery of grace kept hidden from him from the foundation of the world, Satan's hatred for God and His justice is implacable, incurable, and beyond human imagination or description.  He automatically hates any human being in whose heart Jesus Christ dwells.  He bitterly hates this speck of dust called a human because, with Christ indwelling, that same human soul is destined to spend eternity in heaven where he, Satan, originally came from, once upon a time.  Satan has been working nonstop from the beginning to infiltrate the thinking of other sentient beings in occult ways.  Knowing that God will not trespass upon man's free will he projects error and oversight into human societies by any means he can, injecting doubt and division among men, distorting the truth, promoting spirituality as a substitute for faith, and deceiving and misleading the gullible into spending their time, attention, and resources on anything but God.  Obsessed with disrupting man at every turn he misuses his genius to foment insubordination to and lead the unsuspecting away from the truth of God's Word, most recently with the movements of feminism, totalitarian wokeism, cultural marxism, New Age, and gaslighting, to get men to resent, slander, and turn against each other.


NOTE:  Satan not only tells blatant lies but he denies he ever said or did anything misleading in the face of plenty of proof to the contrary.  He shifts the blame, continues to act in ways that fail to match his words, uses what's near and dear to the individual as ammunition, and uses positive reinforcement to wear others down over time.  He uses projection, attributing his own evil ideas, feelings, and attitudes to God and humanity as a defense to externalize his own guilt and responsibility.   Knowing that confusion weakens people he projects his own nature into them to get people to think that everyone else is a liar and to align them against each other.  If he can, he tries to get people to believe that they're starting to lose their mind.  He tries to get people to think that a true man or woman of God is mentally challenged and cannot be trusted, if not a complete lunatic who belongs in an asylum.

This is called Gaslighting

[so-named after the movie "Gaslight" (1944) starring Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman which portrays manipulation and abuse within a marriage]. 

Satan the devil is behind all of it.


This tactic of Satan's of constantly promoting the lie isn't so much aimed at making people believe a specific untruth so much as ensuring that no one believes anything any more.  He knows that a people who mistrust everything can no longer differentiate between truth and falsehood, will be unable to distinguish between right and wrong, that such a people deprived of the power to think and judge would be, without knowing and willing it, completely subject to the rule of lies, and that among such a people any maneuvering and manipulation is possible.  This obsessive, depraved nature of his is abundantly clear, recognizable, and sadly evident in human affairs in general, and politics and religion in particular.  Satan doesn't try to counterfeit what is already false; it would be a complete waste of his time.  Instead his attention is focused upon counterfeiting what is true.  It's a fact that he's spent the last two thousand years raising up a body of professing Christians who aren't in the body of Christ and never were (1John 2:19).  Whether he fans the flames of hatred, prejudice, and murder or if he simply prompts indifference in people, the result is the same.  The devil isn't interested so much in how many songs of praise this sham-phony army of professing Christians of his may sing, how much preaching amiss it may hear, or how much the organ or other musical instruments might be employed in its assemblies, so long as none of these recruits of his start discovering the truth on their own from the Bible and start putting it to work for God.  Mindless, robotic, repeat worship observance appropriating the name "Christian" that downplays independent Bible study plays right into his hands.  When people are asleep in religion and jamb-pack their lives with worldly diversions every free moment until their next religiously-prescribed "day of obligation" rolls around, they're doing just what Satan wants.  Those who go through these kinds of shallow motions week after week because their religion has them caught in a cycle of increasing guilt may think their efforts are winning God's favor and compensating for their latest round of sins, but they're very sadly mistaken.  As for professing Christians who let worldly distractions monopolize them, who take for granted what God has done for them and pridefully think they're somehow superior to others because of who they are, the same are those with whom the Lord Jesus has no relationship (Matt. 7:13-23).  

God hates this kind of stuff (Prov. 6:16-19).

If a mere fig tree earned the curse of Jesus for bearing no fruit when its leaves were plentiful (Mark 11:12-14), then it becomes the absolute business of everyone in the body of Christ, musicians included, to make their own individual contributions to carrying out the great commission of the Lord Jesus (Matt. 28:18-20) to teach others about the love of God, the message of the cross, the absolute authority given to Jesus in heaven and in earth, and all of what He has commanded.  WHY? ... because people all over this world are dying without Him -- without ever learning about God's grace, believing in the Son of God, and following and trusting Him with everything for the rest of their days.  Such people are missing their chance to travel the only road to heaven [the cross of Christ] which a holy and just God has made for man's justification.  Those who die without being on that road [i.e., those who were old enough and mentally capable enough of comprehending the true gospel during their time on this earth, knew of it, but ignored or willfully rejected it] will spend eternity separated from God.  The truth is, those in whom the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, dwells are enlisted in a conflict between two spiritual kingdoms at war with each other.  It isn't about sitting on one's duff in pews week after week listening to flowery messages, singing songs, following the prescribed religious routine, and remaining stuck in this hamster wheel minding our own business, never sharing with others what we've seen and heard and all that God has done for us, while our fellow man is perishing.

NO.  Not according to Scripture.

It's about proactive enlistment for spiritual battle.

It's about deliberate, voluntary outreach.

It's about taking a stand for Christ

in a world that hates Him.

Satan knows that if he can get sin to rule you,

the life of God in you will be killed.

That's his objective in this war -- for you to die in your sins.

But if God rules you, the sin in you will be killed,

crucified with Christ (Rom. 6:6, Gal. 2:20, 5:24). 


This website's home page has already touched upon the idea that true worship stems from a sincere heart and reverence for God, that when worship becomes focused more on performers rather than spiritual connection it indicates a departure from authentic spirituality.  But until those who are called to this specialized ministry described on this website go to God, offer the prayer of faith, and are given the knowledge of what's in store for them above the clouds in terms of an instrument, how it's controlled, or the wondrous place and office it occupies in the halls of heaven, they cannot even begin to imagine what's in store for them up ahead.  Once a student's interest in organ playing leads them to wade into this vast ocean of learning it's inevitable that they find themselves beginning to sense -- rather sooner than later -- this conjoining between theology and organ performance, that it all fits together.  They then do more than simply admire the craftsmanship and workings of this engineering marvel that has them captured, how it's built, how it creates sound, and the beauty and majesty of the music written for it -- they start crediting it for reflecting in its design and purpose the Light of an Eternal Mind.


They are left in profound awe of

  THE God Instrument.  


Once someone experiences what it's like to sit at a large pipe organ, draw its stops, press its keys in spread chords on the full organ with double pedal, and be exposed up close and personal to its sonic and visceral sensations, they're never the same again.  Our ears, our eyes, our hearts, ALL are opened up in ways not possible by any other means.  Being involved in the production of music feeds us, nourishes us, brings us great joy, and connecting with listeners in this way is always a plus.  For people called to and set aside by God to serve society in the music ministry the situation however is not a simple one in this present, pluralistic, politically correct world.

By far the biggest obstacle facing them

in carrying out their God-given calling

is religion itself.

RELIGIOUS PRIDE

KEEPS PEOPLE FROM THE TRUTH.


THE SAD TRUTH IS,

MUCH ABOUT RELIGION WITHIN CHURCHIANITY

IS NEITHER BIBLICAL NOR CHRISTIAN

BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION.


RELIGION TEACHES

ITS OWN REQUIREMENTS FOR SALVATION.

TRUE CHRISTIANITY TEACHES

THAT THERE ARE NO REQUIREMENTS

FOR SALVATION TODAY

SAVE FOR FAITH & BELIEF

IN THE LIFE, DEATH, AND RESURRECTION

OF THE SON OF GOD.



















SALVATION CANNOT BE MERITED OR EARNED

BY ANY TASKS, EXERTIONS, OR BURDENS

PRESCRIBED BY RELIGION.

WORKS DONE TO WIN GOD'S APPROBATION

ARE LIKE FILTHY RAGS TO HIM.


FAITH ALONE, IF IT LACKS GOOD WORKS,

 IS A DEAD FAITH (Jas. 2:17-26).

[JAMES REFERS HERE TO FAITH-PERFECTING WORKS

WHICH SIMPLY REFLECT THE LIVING PRESENCE WITHIN

OF THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST].


BUT WHEN THEOLOGY TEACHES THAT PEOPLE

MUST IN ANY SENSE PERFORM GOOD WORKS

IN ORDER TO DRAW DOWN THEIR SALVATION

IT RENDERS THE CROSS OF CHRIST OF NO EFFECT,

MAKES GOD INTO A LIAR,

AND DENIES HIS GRACE.


GOD LOOKS AT THE HEART

FOR WHAT HE REQUIRES,

NOT WHAT RELIGION REQUIRES.

SO LONG AS MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST

ARE ON THIS EARTH

HE LOOKS FOR FAITH IN, BELIEF IN, TRUST IN,

SURRENDER TO, AND COMMITMENT FOR LIFE

TO FOLLOW HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST.


RELIGION NEVER SAVED ANYBODY.

[THE PEOPLE WHO HAD JESUS NAILED TO A CROSS

WERE RELIGIOUS.]

PEOPLE NEED TO RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST,

NOT RELIGION.  


NOTE:  Ever since the mystery was revealed to Paul, both Jews and Gentiles have been saved by grace -- a merit-less salvation on the part of those being saved.  Scripture indicates that Christ did everything needed to supply this grace on the cross and by His resurrection.  People are saved today by faith alone in Christ's perfect finished work.  But, sadly, whole denominations by the dozens are being led by seminary attendees who are falsely teaching that this is not enough, that to be saved one must comply with additional conditions.

Salvation is not spadework to be taken up.

It's a gift.

Christianity is not a religion.

It's an inner transformation of the spirit.


A man or woman within the body of Christ typically talks to the Holy Spirit like a best friend, prays ad libitum from the heart, searches the Bible for truth, lives by it as a lifestyle, cuts out things that get between themselves and God, resists the devil, puts on the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:11-18), and allows nothing to trap them in a cycle of increasing guilt.  There are many church-goers today who don't understand this or even recognize the season they're in because the homilies they're hearing from the pew and the messaging their hearing from the gallery barely touch upon it.  Saint Paul wrote of a time when there will come a great falling away from the faith, that God will permit a great delusion to sweep human societies, that the vast majority shall be carried away by it to their own shame and destruction (2Thess. 1-12).  The truth that God has made the cross of Christ the only road to heaven (John 14:6) is being contradicted by false teachers who maintain that all religions have value as pathways to God (2Tim. 4:3-4) and that the hearts of all people are basically good (Jer. 17:9).  Both notions are part of the big lie to which Paul refers.  Many church-goers who think they're saved haven't even had a true faith encounter with Jesus Christ; they have a creed, but not Jesus Christ; they have a cause, but not Jesus Christ; they have a code, but not Jesus Christ; they have a worship system, but not Jesus Christ.    



We can go to a religious center/501c3 building to worship, fellowship, or exercise our ministry, but, technically speaking, we cannot "go to church."  The "church" [Gr. "ekklesia," meaning "called out ones"] Jesus said He would build (Matt. 16:18) is not a building.  This being said, a large proportion of church-goers feel like God isn't very much in the churches where they attend these days.  It seems as though a great many claim they haven't found true selfless Christian love, acceptance, fellowship in suffering, or unity there, only external observance.  Some are even reporting being treated a bit unfriendly if not snubbed altogether with no greeting.  Some outsiders take the attitude that churches are places where fake people go every Sunday to make people think they're the real deal; from their standpoint it's been all about religion, what the place can get instead of what it can provide, and more about status, position, clicks, and ear-tickling instead of what it's supposed to be -- a strengthening, sharing, inspiring enrichment of faith for reaching out to a lost and dying world.  


With the teaching from ipods and screens with the lights turned off substituted for conventional hymnals, congregants these days who are unaccustomed to such modernizations are understandably uncomfortable.  They feel like they aren't being nourished in the fullness of God's Word but are simply being entertained, having their senses played, and are barely growing in the faith.  Sadly, in some of the megachurches and Christian persuasions today, we do find misguided pastors and associate pastors in the heirarchy of governance who, for a number of reasons, are, at times, preaching amiss.  The prevailing worldly stance of feel-good compromise and political wokeism has infected all areas of society including the modern pulpit to the extent that the messaging from the Bible about such critical matters as the sin problem, hell, the doctrine of justification by faith, in fact the entire host of consequential points involved in the Christian journey, are being set aside in favor of 1) the prosperity gospel [falsely claiming (John 16:33) that every faith-filled Christian can expect and should look forward to financial favor and thriving abundance in this world and that any shortfalls encountered in either area in the here and now indicates insufficient faith], 2) legalism [an unbiblical hybrid of law and grace involving the imposition of additional conditions for salvation such as mandatory membership & attendance, forced tithing, speaking in tongues, vain repetitious praying, and entire systems of observance], 3) hypergrace [preaching only God's love without acknowledging His holiness, twisting Scripture (1John 4:16) in contending that "love is the God we seek," ignoring the truth that He is also a God of justice, and promoting the idea that those saved in Christ can do whatever they want], 4) replacement theology [the false notion (Eph. 1-3) that the body of Christ has supplanted Israel in the plan of God, thus making believers a non-existent spiritual Israel, stealing their possibility of free salvation, and failing at the same time to rightly divide truth from truth, i.e., to separate body of Christ doctrine [mystery/grace/Romans thru Philemon] from Israel's Time Past & Ages to Come doctrine [prophecy/law/remainder of the Scriptures], and 5) outright blasphemy [such as by misrepresenting the nature of God, downplaying the jeopardy of hell, or claiming that all religions are pathways to God, profaning the words of Christ and making the finished work of His cross of no effect (Acts 4:10-12).  The Lord Jesus was quite clear about the danger of hell fire (Matt. 5:22) and about Himself, that no person can come to the Father but by Him (John 14:6).


For those would-be new congregants who walk with God in Bible reading and prayer, have investigated the original meanings of biblical words, understand biblical passages in their proper context, and are clear on biblical doctrine, this kind of dishonest gainsaying is a complete turn-off (Gal. 1:9).  They know that the sins society condones, that the clergy may disregard, overlook, or excuse, or that man has made legal are still sins in the eyes of God.  


Any gathering of the body of Christ today is supposed to be a place where the Spirit of Christ is there, reflecting His peace and the presence of the Spirit of truth in the hearts of all twice born believers present.  And yet, the way churches operate today, supposedly in His name, they give a potential new congregant a thousand reasons to quit attending.  As for the music situation, the major denominations may still have an organ of some kind in working condition, but most, sad to say, do not have an organist.  More often than not they rely upon a piano to accompany any live singing.  As for the listeners, a fair number of them really do not prefer the "pop concert" swing-and-sway atmosphere which now pervades the church music scene.  High-tech assisted worship, for them, is unnecessarily complicated.  They want it simple, not so communication glutted, easy to figure out and easy to follow -- something that doesn't get them lost.  This means a simple hymn book with music lines, a single song-leader, and plain accompaniment as opposed to the most up-to-date sights and sounds of a modern technology-glutted, communication-glutted society.

 

To hear so many congregants talking today the well-meaning rock band performing all kinds of special music of their own, while all well and good, is, frankly, wasted on them in a worship setting.  They agree that there is plenty of room for musical creativity, excellence, and talent, but they also admit that it should work with and not compete with assembled voices uplifted in worship.  They want to hear ALL of God's people united in praise, not merely the praise band singers.  They don't want to be forced to stumble through or silently listen to unfamiliar music and words they have trouble following while gazing at lines flashing across a Jumbotron screen.  They want to KNOW the music so they can sing it from their hearts.


This is a sobering situation facing the organist of today.  Trends like this have pushed many an organist, whether deliberately or not, out of the picture right along with the traditional hymn book.  The current so-called shortage-of-organists can be attributed in large part to the concert atmosphere that's developed and the fact that worship attendance and offerings have been dwindling.  Consequently fewer young people are undertaking the study of an instrument which consumes time and energy to develop, then maintain the several skill sets involved. but doesn't provide commensurate financial return.  There are some organists out there, of course, who make a full-time living from their music with a pay scale which provides for all of their needs, health coverage, and other considerations, but these are not in the majority.  The best case scenario seems to be relying on doing something else for a primary income which would allow organists to pursue their music ministry with a mind free of undue concern.  It's actually more accurate these days to say that there's an acute shortage of churches which use the organ at all.


It's sadly astonishing that a fair number of churches today are saying that they're "no longer able to utilize" their older pipe organ, a fine piece of musical equipment that may well have served and inspired countless listeners and for which so many had sacrificed to buy some decades ago.  Church boards are claiming they don't want to pay to keep the instrument maintained when they can't find anyone to play it ... all the while ignoring the fact that, in order for it to attract a player, it has to BE in working order.  With this absurd logic, it would make better sense to close and shutter the church, since it's probably just as old or older than its pipe organ and just as "unusable."  The truth is, when there are organs in Europe that are hundreds of years old and in excellent condition because someone cared enough to preserve them, it's a dirty, rotten shame if not dreadful blasphemy to put a fine pipe organ out on the street like this in favor of some nonsense.  Too many congregations today find themselves under-selling if not giving away their organ, then in 6 months, after the music director has hit the road for obvious reasons, they wish they had their organ back -- better to throw out the music director, keep the organ, find someone to play it, and get it fixed.     


In terms of filling the pews every week, the very misguided disuse of the hymnal and organ in worship has been far more of a hindrance than a help.  There are probably a very great many people who don't really care whether or not they're singing with an organ, but it's as if hymnals and organs have become the scapegoats for the decline in attendance.  The resulting fallout in education has involved school faculties which seem to be more challenged than ever before to recruit organ students.  Among denominations where organ music and accompaniments are or might still be embraced, there are fewer local churches open than ever before, fewer ministers, fewer congregants, smaller choirs (where there is a choir), greater costs for upkeep of the building and the functioning of worship, and more internal legislation on security, youth, insurance, etc.


While the musical mindset of pastors and worship teams is no longer what it was half a century ago, it still rings true that church services have little to do with what people prefer and everything to do with what they need.  It's still true that when people reverently and routinely come together to hear the Word of God, fellowship with the body of Christ, and sing praises to Him, this points to the use of a type of sacred song that's a) strong in doctrine, b) not mantra or emotionally driven, and c) not filled with repetitive lyrics.  These are foundational conditions, and, in churches where hymnals have been gathered up and are sitting in boxes or stacked in hallways, the ministry there would do well to remember that traditional hymns meet these requisites better than anything else [See blog, Hymns, Parts I-XII].


Hymns are theological statements set to music.


  • Hymns serve as a means to teach and reinforce the foundational beliefs of the Christian faith.  Many contemporary songs simply lack the depth and theological richness that hymns provide.  Hymns can help educate and spiritually nourish congregations of all sizes.
  • Hymns have connected generations of believers throughout history.  The singing of just one hymn at an appropriate moment, something approved of and encouraged by Jesus Himself (Matt. 26:30, Mark 14:26), can serve as a bridge between the church's past and its present, reminding all participants they are part of a much larger, timeless group which shares unity and continuity in worshiping God.
  • Hymns are easy to remember.  Their melodies and lyrics stay with people for a lifetime.  Congregants can carry the messages and lessons contained in hymns throughout their lives, reinforcing their faith.
  • Hymns can be a unifying force among a diverse congregation.  They transcend cultural and language barriers and provide an opportunity for people of different backgrounds to worship together.  They are a beautiful expression of unity in Christ among various sundry peoples that gives them a real sense of identity and belonging.
  • Hymns can offer a broader musical palette and a sense of balance in worship.  They are flexible, arrangeable, and can accommodate a wide multiplicity of musical tastes and preferences.
  • Hymns often carry deep emotional resonance.  Their melodies and lyrics can evoke strong feelings of reverence, joy, comfort, and pleasant memories of departed loved-ones.  They reach deeply into the soul, beckon the unsaved, and provide a safe space for people to express their emotions, a place where they can find solace and healing.
  • Hymns can be powerful teaching tools.  They can be and are very often used to instruct and encourage, especially in conjunction with the preaching of sermons.  Many hymns are directly tied to biblical passages and stories, making them valuable teaching aids.
  • Hymns preserve a sacred legacy for future generations.  These timeless songs of the church are a way that children and grandchildren have the opportunity to experience an unbroken musical heritage.    


   While it would be narrow-minded to think that hymn singing out of the hymnal is incapable of joining in praise with other kinds of worship music when congregations gather to offer praise to God, it does provide a great deal of spiritual depth, theological richness, timeless connection, memorability, inclusivity, variety and balance, and emotional resonance while serving as a powerful teaching tool with a living legacy.


There's something else to consider:  just holding a hymnal during worship is important.  Practically speaking, hymn books cannot break down in the middle of a liturgy like technology can.  Musically, they teach -- looking at notes on a page as opposed to just lyrics helps people learn the basics of melodic direction and rhythmic value, giving them the first steps in learning to read music.  Theologically, congregants don't just see what the worship leader has selected but are instead exposed to the full repertoire.  They can turn the page and encounter hymns in other languages, reminding them of the church's diversity.  Seeing old hymns next to newer ones unites them with all believers throughout history.  Hymnals are also symbols of consistency.  Unlike a screen that fades or a paper bulletin which is discarded, they demonstrate that what is being sung is worth keeping around as well as reminding everyone that prayer is continuous and can't be turned off or discarded.  Hymnals are something that can and should be held proudly in the hands.  The fact that congregants have a voice and the organist has an organ which can lead them remains a very dynamic way to enrich the spiritual lives of congregations by maintaining connection with the church's roots, providing a robust theological foundation, reminding people of God's love and grace, and fostering unity and inclusivity while helping to stir souls and draw them closer to God.


CHURCHIANITY BREAKS DOWN AS FOLLOWS:








































ORGANISTS PLEASE TAKE NOTE:

There are many communions and affiliations within churchianity today but only ONE body of Christ (Eph. 4:4).  The body of Christ is not a physical man-made grouping but a spiritual body with Jesus Christ as its head.  It is not a corporation with Jesus Christ as its president.  It is not limited to the local congregation.  It is not limited to any one denomination or system of observance; that idea is FALSE no matter who insists otherwise.  The body of Christ crosses every partition and circumstantial divide to include ALL twice born believers irrespective of gender, age, race, creed, color, country of origin, baptismal status, health status, formal education, vocation, past history, card-carrying memberships, who they're pastor is, or even if they have a pastor.  It includes EVERY HUMAN BEING mentally capable of comprehending who in this life has had exposure to and has embraced the true gospel, who has repented, who has surrendered to the Lord Jesus, who has received Him into their heart, and is committed to trusting Him for everything going forward regardless of the cost.  Such people are destined to experience three miracles in their lives:  1) the aforementioned process of being twice born, redeemed, sanctified, and justified through the Lord Jesus and the saving work of His cross at the moment of knowing and receiving Him as their Savior, 2) a future moment [rapture] at which all in the body of Christ, whether living or deceased, are removed from this world, given a glorified body like the Lord Jesus, and are taken to heaven (1Thess. 4:17), and 3) the miracle situated between these two other miracles made possible by such people taking on new life and becoming more like the Lord Jesus in their character as the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, begins to live His life ...

IN THEM.


*

As for something in a portable electronic instrument for the itinerant organist or worship keyboardist where a suitable organ with pedals is not available, it would be well to shoot for one that has realistic pipe organ, orchestral, percussion, and sound samples aboard which includes, if possible, a 32-foot octave, adjustable EQ and reverb, transposer button, a row of adjustable presets to store selected combinations, and the ability to mix individual samples at various volume levels.  An external powered speaker cabinet, damper (sustain) pedal, volume pedal, keyboard stand, bench, audio cables, power (surge) strip, and traveling case would be among the necessary tools.  An add-on powered subwoofer, connecting audio cable, extension cord, and a couple of 3-prong adapters for situations where the venue may only have 2-prong electrical wall receptacles, all come highly recommended.   

     

 *

It's supremely important for organists/church musicians, wherever they're music ministry takes them, to remember this one thing ABOVE ALL:  worship music, no matter how pious it may sound, can be the front door to unbiblical deceptions.  Those in the body of Christ today don't get to follow Jesus on their own terms, neither do they get to worship God just with their heart or any other way they want.  Referring to the Scriptures, Christ taught that people must worship God in spirit AND in truth (John 4:24).  Both are necessary and non-negotiable conditions according to Jesus, which means that the Bible is conjoined with the hymnal (and comes before it).  In a great many of today's denominations being led by preachers who go along to get along, more time is spent listening to and watching Christian-based songs performed than hearing sermon messages.  Since congregations learn their theology not only by the preaching they hear but by the songs they sing it's important to bear in mind that Satan the devil, as described above, also is a musician; he knows all about music, and his workmanship in this department was prepared for him in heaven from the time he was created (Ezek. 28:13).  As a largely underestimated master of disguise, Satan is well aware that spiritual giftedness, especially in the creative arts, does not equal spiritual maturity.  So, with characteristic, unmitigated gall he cunningly and treacherously deceives and preys upon any well-meaning but unwary, underinformed, misinformed, and susceptible praise song writers.  He specifically targets their proficiency in crafting poetic and artistic language to perpetrate a hoax; he misleads them to incorporate what's theologically false into the lyrics they're matching to the latest captivating tune to issue from their pen.  In so doing, this malevolent being, working undercover, exploits the creativity of the naive musician to adroitly assemble a Trojan Horse for him.  The musical product is a very subtle, perfidious imposture which on its surface looks and sounds and seems uplifting, reverent, and honoring to God but when introduced into and performed at worship it ends up achieving the pernicious end that Satan wants; its wording, when mirrored against biblical truth, is irreverent and lacking honor to God while at the same time promoting what's untrue in such an astute and guileful way that it goes unnoticed.  This is only one way that Satan, the ruler and god of this world (John 16:11, 2Cor. 4:4) who knows that God will not trespass on man's free will, exploits churchianity.  He worms his way into the arts, infiltrates religious thinking and worship, and manipulates the people involved (including seminary attendees & musicians); he manipulates places (including pulpits & the elevated dais); he manipulates things (including seminaries, liturgies, bible translations, theologies, music, etc.) to taint the purity of biblical truth -- in this case within sung stanzas of songs -- just enough to discolor with error the purity of truth.  Incognizant singers who are duped by all of this may be charter members of their church, they may have multiple baptismal certificates to their name, have a drawer full of Sunday school pins, have never missed choir practice, and still end up, of their own free choice, missing their chance to experience God's presence and fellowship with Him forever.  As long as the result is still the same, Satan is fine with that.  As stated, the devil doesn't come on as a bad guy; he works behind the scenes masquerading as a good guy to achieve his ends; he doesn't give a hoot about how much people sing praises to God in the churches every week as long as the singing is off target.  Satan, master of fine-spun, insidious propaganda that he is, ambush predator walking about this earth seeking whom he can devour that he is (1Pet. 5:8), arrogant, brazen, back-stabbing traitor to God that he is, hates man, hates the Word of God rightly divided, and hates the true gospel, is infuriated by it, and will stop at nothing, and stoop to anything, to contaminate and pollute its message, lure people away from God, and get them to disqualify themselves by any tantalizing and nefarious means his genius can contrive.  This is because Satan knows that a) no man has ever turned away from God and found happiness, joy, and peace that was lasting and permanent, b) God has made

+  the cross of Christ  +

the road to heaven, c) there isn't any other way for sinful man to be forgiven and enter into eternal fellowship with God, d) the man or woman who refuses to accept the shelter it offers is doomed, and e) it's been made crystal clear that anyone saved by it is no longer dead in spirit (alive physically but without relationship or fellowship with God) but part of a new creature called the body of Christ, miraculously formed by grace through faith, against which no weapon formed, seen or unseen, shall prosper (Isa. 54:17).  


Is this what's really going on in the churches

and with church music today?

Dear friends, you better believe it ...

Where you spend eternity depends upon it.

If Satan is shrewd enough to talk angels out of heaven

he can talk man into hell.


BOTTOM LINE:  The classic hymns also have poetic and artistic language in them, but it's always combined with a reverence and an honoring to God that's sadly lacking in a fair number of the newer songs used in praise.  This is why true Christians are obliged to follow Saint Paul's example (1Cor. 14:15) when he says he will sing with the spirit and also sing with the understanding.  This is why organists who play for worship services need to be (and cannot afford NOT to be) well acquainted with true, rightly divided, biblical Christian doctrine.  Both Jesus and Paul taught that there is a proper way to worship and sing to the Lord, viz., in the spirit -- with both truth and understanding.  This means that people are not to sing songs to God that they do not understand (if it's something they don't understand, then it's truthfulness cannot be  determined).  Because people fail to catch any untruths in the stanzas they're singing in worship without knowing the truth directly from sacred Scripture, organists as well as praise music writers and other performers involved in the music ministry need to heavily reflect upon the body of belief being taught by what's being sung and how their own personal contribution to the same could be helping to convey sound biblical truth ...

  or something else.


*

THOUGHTS WORTH SHARING ...


Some of our organists, while they cannot find any hard numbers to support it, believe that the profession of liturgical organists is dying.  In some locales a fair number of churches have either shut down completely or merged with other congregations.  Many are no longer employing the organ and are using either piano or praise band music.  Active choirs are becoming increasingly rare because of the diminished and aged congregations.  Many young organists today are completely eschewing church work and trying to build recital careers.  While understandable, they do not have the career paths of other musicians such as violinists or pianists.  As such, even our major organists cannot command the fees many up-and-coming pianists make.  The demand and audience attraction just aren't there.  The sad part is that many new organists are fine musicians, their talent is something about which to marvel, but it seems that, without a massive examination of the topic of marketing, this profession will be gone in the not too distant future.


A significant issue appears to be that these talented young organists can't find full time positions with even basic benefits because so many churches can no longer afford that, notwithstanding the issue of those who just want a paycheck and have no concern for the music ministry.  In the big cities where large and important instruments are located a fair number of congregants have grown tired of the liberal politics that have flown directly in the face of their faith, and they've moved away.  The Covid scare and the church's reaction to it also caused people to get out of the habit of attending worship services, opting instead to watch online.  The woke ideology direction some of the churches have taken also is part of the picture, many people just don't go for drag queen bible study, and these are dying by their own hand.


It's a disheartening reality that many extraordinarily talented young musicians, brimming with potential, will see their careers falter or stagnate -- not due to a lack of skill but because they do not understand how to market themselves.  Despite their musical prowess they find themselves adrift in a landscape that increasingly values visibility and self-promotion.  What's particularly troubling is that even our most prestigious music education institutions often fail to equip these gifted individuals with the business acumen necessary for building a successful concert career.  A comprehensive musical education should not just focus on the art itself but also on the practical realities of turning that artistry into a viable profession.  One of the most crucial aspects of being a performing artist is selling tickets and filling seats in a performance venue.  In today's competitive world, being excellent is no longer enough -- the recitalist must also be a magnet that can draw a wide and loyal audience.  Major concert venues will simply not hire an artist who cannot fill their halls, regardless of their talent.


This challenge extends beyond just filling seats.  Musicians must also know how to cultivate relationships with foundations and corporations to secure funding for their desired projects, many of which are not cheap.  The ability to attract patrons and sponsors, present compelling proposals, and manage funding is now as integral to a musician's success as the ability to perform beautifully on stage.  The tragedy deepens when we consider the sheer breadth of opportunities available today.  In this digital age, with platforms like social media and streaming services at their fingertips, musicians have unprecedented access to audiences around the globe.  However, far too few know how to harness these tools effectively.  Many young artists seem overwhelmed or simply unaware of the power these resources hold on shaping their future careers.


This disparity between talent and visibility underscores the urgent need for our music institutions to evolve.  It's no longer enough to teach the notes; how to be heard in a noisy world also needs to be taught.  The modern performing artist has to be a skilled marketer, relationship builder, and fundraiser as much as they are a master of the instrument.  Any time-saver [such as online educational websites like this one] which helps fast-track that mastery can be expected to help create more time for the budding professional to focus on these other career-building skills.