February 10, 2005 (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article) -
The following is by Vince Londini, Associate Pastor at Bethel Baptist Church, London, Ontario.

My understanding of what constitutes godly music has been shaped by two men, Frank Garlock and Alan Ives. I owe these men for plainly showing me from Scripture the role of music, the morality of music, and the need to distinguish between godly and worldly music. Through his personal presence and his own recordings, my friend Alan Ives helped me move from a sloppy casualness, manifest at times in my solo recording. I owe Alan a debt of personal friendship, a few private lessons, and much encouragement. Thank you, brother! May God bless the Scriptural principles these men promote and their impact on lives like mine.

Since my conversion, God gifted me to sing His praises and uses me to lead His children in singing to Him. In practical terms, when someone asks what shapes my singing style, my first reply is the music to which I listen. No amount of reading or philosophical consideration outweighs the impact your listening habits have on your singing. If only to guide you in selecting influences on your singing, this column should prove a valuable resource.

Please let me direct your attention to Ephesians 5:18-21. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

This is one sentence. These thoughts are related to each other. God draws a contrast between the spirit that controls unsaved, fleshly souls and the attitude and outlook He wants His children to demonstrate. He gives us four practical commands. Yield to His Spirit. Use songs publicly and privately. Habitually and continually thank Him for all things. Submit to each other in godly fear.

Lets briefly look at the second command since it guides our purpose in this column.
God commands us to use psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs in a public way to each other, and privately to sing and make melody in our hearts to God. Thus, God authorizes the setting of His Word, here specifying the Psalms, to music. He also instructs us to use non-Scripture poetry of spiritual character. Further, God expects us to meditate on wordless melodies that serve as part of our communion with Him and His purposes.
Inherent in these commands is the truth that both words and melodies express meaning, and can be characterized as spiritual or non-spiritual. Even melodies alone, tunes played by instruments, express spiritual and moral content.

In this column, well focus on Christian music, mostly vocal. Well be looking at albums of songs that use Gods Word or spiritual words and spiritual melodies. I believe that godly Christian music will strengthen your love for Christ, develop your ability to distinguish between godly and ungodly music, and strengthen Scriptural character traits in your thinking and consequently your behavior.

What a joy to obey our Lord!

IN JESUS IS ALL MEANING
By John Laine & the Wyldewood Singers

When searching for godly music, the God-fearing Christian will find the local Christian bookstore of little use. In our glitzy, entertainment-centered, professionally packaged culture many may find it hard to believe that some of the best godly music is written, produced, and recorded by small groups of faithful believers interested in glorifying their God more than becoming commercial successes. Moving from the smooth, sensual, digitally manipulated sound of pop-influenced music, to sincere, godly music may require adjustment for some. But, once the worlds sounds fade, the believing mind can begin to appreciate godly music with an entirely different sound.

My favorite album is In Jesus Is All Meaning by John K. Laine and the Wyldewood Singers from Wyldewood Baptist Church in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Christ-exalting, Scripture-saturated songs burst from these 11 tracks. Probably no single recording has so thrilled my soul and led me to further love and devotion to Christ like this one (though there is at least one close second-place).

For this 1986 recording, John Laine composed and arranged each piece, accompanying each track on the piano. Johns 45-minutes of original melodies and poems are refreshingly unique. You will need to listen to the recording at least twice to begin familiarizing yourself with them. This tapes value and blessing grows each time you listen, more than rewarding your time investment.

Opening with the challenging devotion of Does Jesus Reign In Your Heart Today? this album begins working on your spirit, leading your heart to love your Savior. The One True Light reminds you of the wonderful deliverance from the world that you found in Christ when you were born-again and leaves you praising Christ for His great salvation! Dear Lord I Pray may well become your motto for a life lived to Christs glory, Dear Lord I pray that every word that I speak would be pleasing to Thee/May my whole life be conformed to the image of Christ of Galilee/He hath rescued my soul from a life strewn with sin/He took hate, fear, and guilt and gave me peace within/Now Im His evermore what a glorious thought/By His death on the cross, my wretched soul He hath bought. Amen!

Feasting on Scripture set to music thrills my soul. The depth of Scripture and the Holy Spirits application of it bring me back to these songs often. Lyrical adaptations of Scripture like, It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. O dear Lord, with thy help I will hope and quietly wait for thy salvation build my trust in God and determination to seek His will and not my own!

Almost all of the songs are enjoyably Scripture-centered. The tracks include two original Psalm adaptations, using texts from Psalm 34 and 121. These Things Have I Spoken brings the listener back to the Gospels and Acts and the fellowship of men with their Creator God in human flesh. You can almost see the Apostle Paul, and his faithful fellow-laborers singing So Stand Fast In The Lord to those churches over whom he so patiently and tenderly labored.

Johns melodies and arrangements enable the lyrics. The LORD Is My Portion opens with John playing an arresting piano run, perfectly setting the words, It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed. Sometimes, I stop the tape and rewind that piano run and the first few phrases of the song a number of times. The music and words work together to express the message THAT well! The exuberance of love and loyalty to Christ overflows from the melody to In Jesus Is All Meaning, the title track of the album. The instrumentation refreshingly employs additional instruments, from xylophone to clarinet to saxophone, skillfully and spiritually played to enhance the piano accompaniment as well as carry the melody through vocal interludes.

The vocalists sing cleanly and purely, not distracting the listener or weakening the force of the message of their words. The sheet music to this recording is also available. I have enjoyed singing a number of these as solos or duets. The spiral-bound book includes the piano accompaniment and the vocal lyrics. You can purchase copies of both the book and recording from Concord and Harmony ministries at (414) 231-4807.