LEARNING TO CHANT OR LEARNING CHRIST?

Ephesians 4:20; “Ye have not so learned Christ”.

As a theologian as well as a student of the Bible, the unfortunate battle rages within/without specifically on finding the truth, validating the truth (invalidated truth is mere opinion), living by the truth, representing the truth and proclaiming the truth. The processes involved is demanding and must be thorough.

Personally, my utmost desire is the discovery of truth (using the processes above) and the need to discard opinion. A theologian may pursue a matter to prove a point but a student of the Bible has the important task of knowing/presenting an absolute truth.

Let me define what I mean by opinion by gleaning heavily from Ravi Zacharias; ‘An opinion is choosing amidst options’ but as a student of the Bible, truth is the pursuit (not “my” truth but absolute truth). Truth is therefore a record of what was, what is and what shall be on a matter and this is accentuated above opinion such that it remains unchanged and effective through time. The Gospel is for example called the “EVERLASTING GOSPEL” (Rev. 14:6) because its truth remains and effective.

I study movements and ideas from time to time. Hoping to establish the Biblicity of their line of thought for two main reasons:

1. To know and understand how I should conduct myself without been “tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes”-Eph. 4:14.

2. To help equip myself as an Evangelist with the demanding task of giving “an answer to everyone who asks me to give the reason for the hope that I have” (1 Peter 3:15).

So I study for myself and hopefully help others to drink from the fountain of the validated truths that is also helping me in my walk with Christ and His word.

One of such movements that caught my attention is the CHANTING experience made popular by the young neo-Pentecostal movement & young Christian musicians. For the last three years- I have been studying this movement.

NOT AN ARMCHAIR ADVISER

Without becoming an armchair minister of the Gospel, two things attracted me. I visited an office where I met some young people who told me that when trying to write computer codes, they are sometimes faced with “seeming dry spells” when they run out of ideas, so they go into their prayer rooms to chant for hours and then they receive revelations which helps their code writing (this makes me wonder how many chanting Zuckerberg and Bill Gate does to do what they do?).

And again my early childhood experience in a Roman Catholic School exposed me to a form of chanting during Mass. I questioned why we have to do mass and confessions. I questioned why we have to pray through Mary. I questioned so many things but I am eternally grateful to the Roman Catholic education system for helping to mould my world view at that time. So I am “no armchair adviser”.

CHANTING FROM THE PAST

The history of chanting is very difficult. Buddhist have chanted for thousands of years, Hinduist have chanted for centuries. From cultures to cultures, chanting is institutionalized. The Aborigines of Australian chant during their ceremonies and so many other cultures practices same.

WHAT IS CHANTING

“To chant is to speak or sing rhythmically, in words or sounds. There is a wide variety of different types of chanting, from basic two-note chants to simple melodies, to complex melodies and harmonies”.

When you repeat a word for people to follow, learn or also say- you are chanting. Music carries a similar idea. So when you speak or sing repeating the words, sound or rhythm, you are chanting. That will mean various aspects of our worship is supposedly chanting.

This definition seems plausible until you realize that this is merely a dictionary definition. The dictionary compares words and events to express meaning. The problem with this definition is that it overgeneralizes the product over its intention. How? Love is a word in the dictionary and to show how difficult it is for the dictionary to explain love in comparison to other things, Love is defined in many ways by what it produces over its intent.

FOE EXAMPLE…

1. an intense feeling of deep affection.

2. deep affection fondness, tenderness, warmth, intimacy, attachment, idolization

3. Show charity, goodwill, sympathy

4. a feeling of deep romantic or sexual attachment to someone.

The dictionary uses the outward product to define an experience but the Bible offers the intent of an experience. Love is seen as merely of about four major types- Agape, Eros, Philia & Storge. The intent of each expression defines how it should be understood. I hope this is clear?

CHRISTIAN CHANTING

Christian chanting is an offshoot of Jewish chanting. Eusebius, the great Church historian of the fourth century writes; “The chant grew originally out of the music of the Jewish ritual. The first Christians, themselves Jews, . . . brought into their worship the ancient Jewish custom of chanting aloud the books of the Bible. The melodies they used brought out the meaning of the words, made the text audible to a large gathering of people, and added beauty and dignity to the reading. In particular, the chanting of the psalms was to become the firm basis for all future Christian worship.”

Indeed, “the practice of singing psalms in the name of the Lord is observed everywhere."

The Roman Catholic further helped standardized chanting as we know today with their Gregorian Chant. Today an in-depth work has been done to establish that Chanting has serious effect on both mental and spiritual health. How,you would say? All forms of chanting, ALL FORMS of chanting are done to connect with a “higher power” or calm the mind/soul. This means chanting is not a mere experience.

The history of the Church shows that because many different languages were converted to Christianity, in other to join the worship or partake in worship, people learn LATIN (the official language of worship in ancient Christian Rome) and repeating latin words was easier to memorize. So chanting these repetitions became entrenched in Roman Catholicism.

However the ORIGINAL intent of chanting must not be lost.

ORGINAL INTENT...

The Jews chanted during their worship and this came about because of the loss of an experience. Whenever the Holy Spirit came upon God’s prophets- a strange occurrence is seen. Rhythmic movement, loud utterances and even dancing. So when God took out of the Spirit on Moses and placed it upon the 70 elders, Joshua pleaded with Moses to stop them. That MOVE was sacred and not to be joked with.

1 Samuel 19:24 reveals the weirdness of such experiences; “Saul then removed his clothes and also prophesied before Samuel; he collapsed [and lay] naked all that day and all that night. That is why they say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?”” Naked here in Hebrew means unclothed not stark naked though.

When the Holy Spirit became “scarce” in the Jewish experience, they continued the rthymic and weird movments. Hence you see them shaking their heads (Shuckling- Yiddish) to “re-enact” the lost move of God’s Spirit. That idea, Islam borrowed during their recitations. Trying to gain the spiritual through the natural is therefore impossible!!!

So the Christian Church in the 2nd to 4th century borrowed heavily from this. Note not the 1st century believers. There was no need to borrow, the move of God’s Spirit was REAL to them. SO CHANTING IS MERELY THE ATTEMPT TO ACCESS THAT WHICH DOES NOT COME FROM THE SPIRIT BY NATURAL MEANS.

“Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent” is from the 2nd century. The Ethiopian chant is recorded to begin in the 4th century. Gregorian chant in the 9th to 10th Century. Eusebius wrote of chanting in the 4th century. Chanting is the expression of what was lost and man’s attempt to regain. Hence cultures, religions use chanting to connect with the spirit world. Never forget, even prayers did not happen in the Garden of Eden, it began after men realized the gap sin had created in Genesis 4:26.

SHOULD WE CHANT TODAY?

When I say chant, I do not mean singing or worship but the new style of repeating a phrase and dancing rhythmically together. I know some people can’t even pray today without listening to some chants to help them. Check on Youtube and you will see that chanting is not an exclusive “modern Christian” practice.

Biblical Christian worship is defined “The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him”-John 4:23.

1. Worship makes God the father the only motivation- DRIVE.

2. Worship is Exclusive- spirit and truth- DEFINED.

3. Worship is DETERMINED by God and not our feelings.

We do not sing and shout in worship because we like singing and shouting but because the Bible defines how worship must take place. Psalm 149:3-5; “Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. … Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.”

SO HOW DO YOU THEN WORSHIP…

Use the tools the word has described to worship alone. To worship God in another way, undescribed by the Bible is to commit INIQUITY. Iniquity means to contaminate with your own personal view, experience and opinion what God has said and CONCLUDED. Now never forget, because you had an experience in worship the last time you were worshipping does not mean you should repeat it again. No natural move or rhythms can make someone FULL of the Holy Spirit but it can force a person to be FOOLED by spirits.

Do you want to worship? Sing psalms and spiritual songs (songs birthed by the revelation of the word is called spiritual songs) that is what the Bible commands- Ephesians 5:19-20; “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our God and Father;”

“Spirit” dance only excites the flesh. By the way- what your youthful strength alone can do is age sensitive, worship of the true living God is possible for all ages. You can jump today and scream and make streaking sounds saying it is the Holy Spirit but when you grow older- you wont be able to do that anymore.

A major problem with Christian tradition today (as always) is opinion generated doctrine. When you hear someone say words like “I think”, “I feel”- those are speculations. And the opposite of revelation is speculation.

Someone may suggest it is the lyrics that matter! Lyrics don’t only matter, the sound also matters. All through the scriptures- sounds carry meanings. Why can’t we just worship like the Apostles and early Church did, or have we evolved into flesh and opinionated faith? May God forbid.

I have seen "cloud" or smoke fill the arena where we stood to worship and I have seen God's glorious manifestation but like Peter, nothing compares to what 2 Peter 1:19 calls; "a more sure word of prophecy". The Bible is enough or is it not anymore?

NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT in worship like the melody that comes from the new birth. Jesus died, was buried and rose again to restore us to God in relationship. Nothing else beats that. We confess- say what God has said and we are saved- so repeating what God has said is ENOUGH.

There are songs in the psalms we have read but have not yet heard its tune- brethren may our generation see men and women rise to give spiritual tunes to the Bible songs and not that which comes from their opinions and flesh. Amen and peace to the Israel of God!

Ponle Segun Alabi

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