As a church community, we should identify and nurture singers and musicians similarly to supporting them grow in the world.
I want to focus on music discipleship. This could be central to a person in his/her development in their music activities – knowledge, relationship (friendship, ensemble, community) as well as artistic and technical skills.
“Discipleship” – this probably can be explained as living a life that recognises Jesus as your Lord and following his teaching, and him as saviour in the way he leads a perfect life that pleases God and reaches out to others because they need him.
- Others will have a different definition, probably greater emphasis in words like holiness, or following Jesus, or doctrines. Strict definition here is not that important so long we have a broad idea of what it is: we definitely know who we are, we definitely know who Jesus is.
There’s a definite call from Jesus that we follow him, and that’s a commitment 24×7.
- The Old Testament points to the future to a person.
- The New Testament affirms the O.T. stance and confirms this is the person Jesus.
- Following Jesus, learning from him and his teaching, produces growth in ourselves, growth in knowing Jesus better, and the outcome of which includes our desire to share this with others.
Does “music discipleship” as a term complicate things? Does “music” replace Jesus? Language specialists can explain the linguistic aspect of forms of word. But the meaning here should be that “discipleship” is as it is as we know it, but we have a primary interest in ‘living’ out discipleship by way of, through, and using music. The use of music in “service” – to minister to people in encouraging them to worship God.
The use of music is a way to live out the holiness Jesus wants to fill us with more and more. Holiness here means living a life that bears more and more like the ideal human that thinks and behaves in the way God desires, so that we are always in the right way and place with him. Of course, while we are in the present condition, we struggle to be that ideal human, but the words in the Bible has plenty of guidance and encouragement for us to do so. Since we want to be with Jesus, it’s natural we want to better ourselves in the way he desires us to be so to serve others and the world he has created.
But very important is our wanting to be obedient to him, and his spirit will enable us to be obedient to him, and thus holiness grows in us. And it is part of this maturing process where our musical practice comes in.
This maturing process is not linear, we will face struggles. So in the similar way with the way we develop your knowledge and skills in music: at times we feel tired, lazy and other things become priority, at other times we lose momentum in developing our skills, and too many rehearsals might take away our own individual time for gaining awareness of musical knowledge, and for skill development. But we are driven by God’s desire that we want to be with him. As musicians, it’s only natural we sing and play music in his company, especially with music that praises him, and expresses our emotions.
Discipleship journey
“Music dicipleship”, then, is that in your discipleship journey, you also develop your musical skills. Your maturing in your spiritual life will also reflect your maturing in your music. In some pragmatic sense, as you practice your skills (scales, exam pieces, worship pieces), as you work together with others in the music team (relationship, leadership, harmony), you want to desire to improve the music you sing / play – probably you want to do well in music, but more importantly, your doing well in music is a part of your discipleship journey.
This means integration of your faith and your music activities. This is important to encourage your musical development, it means investing time and resources in acquiring musical skills.
The growth of the musical person should be treated as part of their spiritual growth. We don’t expect they learn their singing or instrumental skills as an independent activity from their church life. Of course, musical instruction might take place independent of their church life. But as they learn and improve on their knowledge, experience and skills in music making in church worship life, the music part of their life is part of church community.
In the same way we have discipleship training to support the church to grow in their faith and attain great spiritual things, the musicians would also grow as part of this discipleship training, with specific programme geared towards supporting them to hone their skills to worship God as well as to take leadership in their music to lead others in worshipping God.
I have yet to find where such music discipleship exists. I can’t be the first with this idea.
There’s subtle difference between “worship discipleship” and “music discipleship”. I want to emphasise music because we have for a long time sidelined how musicians gained their skills who then lead worship.
The sheer volume of “learning and practising” their skill happens outside church. This ought to have higher spiritual input. Such input will shape how musicians approach music leadership in worship.
I have not come across cases of sermon training or minister training via something like “public speaking” training programmes. The context and goal are different, as well as a whole lot of other things like purpose, approach and systems of value. Similarly, we should better provide for musician development in their knowledge and skills.
Please let me know where such music discipleship programme exists.
I can’t be the first with this idea. Others will have done this or something very similar without using “Music discipleship”.
I also have further details of what a music discipleship should consist of.