Church Furnishing Guide

Organs aren’t the only music making a joyful
noise in church anymore…

Ahhh, church music. Close your eyes and you can almost hear that soulful steel guitar bringing you closer to Jesus.

Wait. Steel guitar? Surely I meant to say accordion. Or was it the tambourine? If one were to research the musical instruments used in religious worship the only one you might have trouble finding is the kazoo, though it seems to be implied that the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is a friend to the mirliton invented by Georgian Alabama Vest. Oops…forgot all about the (Chaplain) Willard Rahn and his Joyful Noise Kazoo Band.

Turns out there are a multitude of ways to make a joyful noise. As long as you aren’t a strict Church of Christ-er (they poo poo any sounds other than vocal) there is a wild, wonderful, and weird world of church music to choose from.

Way back in the 3rd century BC the Greek hydraulis was born. Who would have guessed all these centuries later it would be used to play ‘In A Gadda Da Vida’ at the First Church of Springfield? Yep, that’s the good old church organ I’m talking about. It was lost to antiquity, relatively speaking, until three Persian brothers, known as Banu Musa, invented the automatic flute player in the 9th century AD. But the organ is not the only traditional instrument to be used in church music. If you want to go waaaaay back to the Old Testament there were a number of variations of the modern flute, drum, and trumpet such as the halil, tof, shofar, kinnor, or nevel. So long as there were 12 instruments and the choir held 12 male vocalists, everything was kosher. Still, it makes you wonder if the 12 Apostles ever burst into song (besides at the Crucifixion).

While the fie, flute, harp, lyre, bassoon, trombone (yes, trombone), and bass and treble violins may have been popular among early church musicians, so were drums. Still, I’m sure they would be amazed by the Methodist Drum Circles springing up around the country today. And it isn’t just the variety of instruments used in modern church music that is astounding, but also the variety of genres that congregations choose to raise their spirits. There’s Punk, Reggae, Trance, Techno, and even Barber Shop Quartet. If you are in the Ohio area check out Nimishillen Township’s annual Polka Mass (no kidding! Doesn’t that sound like fun?). While in Pensacola why not take in a U2charist? Bono doesn’t mind so long as all the proceeds go to charity! If in California maybe Pastor Tobiah Neiditch’s ‘G Church’, specializing in Rave music, is up your alley (Sunday Mass is held at 1:30 and 3 PM). You can catch a klezmer concert once in a while at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Lancaster, PA. There is even a popular musical movement for religious rap enthusiasts, called Holy Hip Hop.

When a congregation worships in song, in unison, out loud, with the music that speaks from their soul then all of heaven and earth benefit. Hymns are no longer strict transcriptions of the Psalms but reflections of Faith and Love written by mere mortals meant for the ears of God. Who is to say God doesn’t hear Love if it’s got a Rumba back beat? Times are changing in church music. The Latter Day Saints aren’t just about boy choirs anymore, the Baptists have Rock Gospel, and God bless the Pentecostals, they have lots and lots of Steel Guitar.