Hawking the Holy Spirit’s Tool

By Uwe Siemon-Netto

“The Holy Spirit dignifies music as an implement for His ministry,” said Martin Luther, who also ranked music next to the Word of God as “the mistress and ruler directing the movements of man’s heart.”

Luther was himself an accomplished musician, and no church body has lived up to the Reformer’s artistic insights more robustly than the one bearing his name.

It is not difficult to recognize music as a tool of the Holy Spirit when we listen, for example, to Bach’s chorales, cantatas and oratorios. Nathan Søderblom, the former Lutheran archbishop of Sweden, called Bach’s St. Matthew Passion the fifth evangelist.

Even more astounding, though, is the faith-building power of Bach’s most abstract works, such as the “Art of the Fugue.” The late Canon Arthur Peacocke, a noted biologist and Anglican clergyman, suggested that the Holy Spirit Himself had dictated this masterpiece directly into Bach’s plume.

Moreover, Bach’s music -- ranging from the most “religious” to the most conceptual – is known to have brought many Japanese and other Asians to Christ. Masaki Yasuda, a former Japanese atheist, first discovered his interest in Christianity when he heard Canadian pianist Glenn Gould play Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Yasuda is now a Jesuit priest and teaches systematic theology at Tokyo’s Sophia University.

When German and Scandinavian Lutherans found refuge in the United States, they brought with them their knowledge of music’s role as the Holy Spirit’s tool. They trained their young musically at home and in denominational schools and universities quite unlike any other Christian denomination. 

And finally faithful Lutherans – individuals, not church bureaucrats – gave America a magnificent gift; they added a classical FM station to KFUO, which is globally revered as the world’s oldest Christian radio.

For 61 years KFUO-FM’s Classic99 has brought joy to Christian and non-Christian music lovers alike well beyond the city limits of St. Louis, where it is beloved. It became living proof that the LCMS, in addition to possessing wonderful theological treasures, ranks among the more civilized and cultured church bodies.

Classic99 won awards; it made profit. It would be futile to speculate over its missionary accomplishments. But it is safe to assume that its musical broadcasts have triggered many a nonbeliever’s interest in the Christian faith, just as Bach’s and other Christian composers’ music has done in Japan and other parts of Asia.

It is one of the incomprehensible tragedies of American Lutheranism that many of its practitioners, theologians included, have developed tin ears; that they have turned deaf to music’s function as the Holy Spirit’s device. There even exists one large Lutheran congregation in St. Louis that proudly announces, “In this church you will never hear the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.”

Now we learn the devastating news that the Board of Directors of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod has authorized the sale of KFUO-FM; Luther would shout: “You are hawking the Holy Spirit’s tool!”

Significantly, this decision coincides with deepening LCMS worries over the cost of an evangelization project aimed at reaching 100 million hitherto uncommitted people with the Gospel by the Reformation’s Qincentenary in 2017.

The Christian Church teaches that faith, like life, is a gift from the Holy Spirit.  This means that while having one of His implements hawked away, the Holy Spirit seems to have been assigned a production goal, much like decades ago the workers of the Soviet Union.

The most celebrated among these workers was Alexey Stakhanov, a Soviet miner and jackhammer operator. Joseph Stalin’s propagandists glorified Stakhanov (1906-1977) as a “hero of labor” for constantly exceeding production targets set by the Politburo. Stakhanov’s greatest accomplishment, we were told, was mining single-handedly 227 metric tons of coal in one single shift.

Here we face a troubling question: Has the Holy Spirit suddenly become a Lutheran Stakhanov while being deprived of one of his essential tools? If so, does this not amount to mocking the Third Person of the Trinity?

This brings to mind Christ’s warning: “Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven, but the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven” (Matthew 12,31).

Comments

[stlsemstudent]

the real problem here is idolatry.

[jp]

Perhaps a book of psalms, legions of lyrical prophetic texts, as well as admonitions to sing songs are not enough (Scriptural precedent) to assert that the church should be concerned with the maintenance of a musical tradition.

[uwesiemon]

John, one wonders, doesn't one? Thanks for your comment. USN

[James Jensen]

It seems to me, that music devoid of the Word is like baptismal water devoid of the Word. Without the means of grace, Word and Sacrament, both are essentially useless. Don't get me wrong, I am a young musician and scholar, but without the Word of God, music can be used for whatever we like. To draw music away from the word, and say it simply points to the Gospel or other things, would allow us to bring in many praise songs. "Sure, it doesn't explicitly mention the saving work of Christ, but it sure points people towards it." This line of thinking is dangerous and should be avoided.

"My heart, which is so full to overflowing, has often been solaced and refreshed by music when sick and weary." -ML.

Notice, there's no mention of his justification here. Music can soothe and calm, but it has no more saving power than mere water. Surely, God can use music to draw people to himself, but the saving act is accomplished through the work of Christ, something I'm sure no one here would disagree with.

[KFUO-FM Listener]

http://www.joyfmonline.org/

According to numerous reports in the St. Louis media, LCMS is planning to sell KFUO-FM to JOY-FM which plays pop/rock music with Christian lyrics. Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart will be replaced by music that sounds like Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake with the lyrics changed.

[Dr. John Edward Frantz]

Thanks, Dr. Siemon-Netto, for your article. I am a Lutheran classical musician and soon to be out of work. God certainly used Bach to help your grandson. Whatever we do with our music as Lutheran Christians we are doing as unto the Lord.

Dr. John Edward Frantz

[Diana Haskell]

I have shared your article with many artists and they have been encouraged greatly.

It seems as though some Christians forget Rom.1:21, that God can clearly be seen in His creation. I think classical music might be termed part of His creation. :) We need much more intentional teaching in the Church about music.

I ask for prayer for those Christians in the arts who are fielding questions every single day about the terms of sale of KFUO. This is not an easy time for Christian artists.

Also I pray that somehow there would be a graceful way to back out of the sale and start over. May His will be done, not mine.