Good Friday

My daughter and I attended a Good Friday church service tonight. It was a meaningful evening with singing, a short message, testimonies, and Communion. But I have been thinking about music and religion lately, and I began thinking about this issue again tonight because the evening service music included drums and electric guitars. There was also a violinist, but it appears to me that whenever music includes drums and electric guitars, that these musical instruments tend to overwhelm the other instruments. I wonder if drums and electric guitars potentially overwhelm other aspects of the religious service.

I am not saying electric guitars and drums should never be included in religious service music. But I wonder if these musical instruments lend themselves to reflection and meditation. I think one reflects and meditates best when the background environment is harmonious and slow-paced. Electric guitars and drums, however, are instruments that create louder sounds, produce sharper notes, and establish a faster tempo. These dynamics, I think, make it difficult for a person to hear that "still small voice" of God. Music that is loud, sharp, and fast-paced might overshadow everything else and leave little room for spiritual contemplation. But then again, maybe this is just a generational thing and I am showing my age.