"All of it is God’s" (…unless it’s evil)

An interview with David Clifton

For David Clifton, Artist in Residence at Wycliffe Hall, music is both a calling and a gift from God. Here, he explains why he’s so passionate about music’s power to induce and deepen faith:

Our singing in church worship calls us to live differently. As with our preaching, teaching, ministry and prayer, it invites us to live in the light of Christ’s calling... to be people of peace, love, compassion, justice. It embodies worship and expresses the overtures of love God makes to us, His desire to put right the world’s wrongs.

Music illustrates and invites the possibility of change. Spiritual revelation, profound encounters, and experiences of eternal dimensions are often initiated by powerful music. It is an avenue for presenting life as it is, and life as it was always meant to be - and the potential for change. Some people respond, and others do not. (Yet…!)

Music, even more than other arts, has a profound power to move people. The best music gives voice to deep feelings. It enhances celebration; brings joy; it expresses the sadness and pain that can be difficult to verbalise, communicate and acknowledge. (Listen to ‘The Living Years’ by Mike and the Mechanics)

Lives everywhere are frequently transformed by music and song. Music comforts, consoles, touching our emotions. (Think of ‘Nimrod’ from Elgar’s Enigma Variations…). It can restore hearts that have become too afraid to love, because of rejection or grief. It heals hurt, and Nick Cave’s recent music is in this category.

When we worship in song, God is partnering with us - he is speaking to us, and to others through us. We offer grateful worship in music and lifestyle. (Romans 12:1&2)

There is power in the shared experience of music, both performance and worship. Ephesians 5:19 reminds us that we sing to God and to one another. There is a mutual partnership, respect and yielding to vision when we sing together. Melody, harmony, rhythm, structure and poetry all contribute to this dynamic.

Music-making creates and restores community (…common unity!). As with the call to follow Jesus, communal music-making requires our personal submission and contribution to a greater purpose. Even if simply to enjoy the experience of singing together, there is a shared intention that unites us.

The composition of sacred music is the highest calling. As with all excellent art, it’s a creative way of promoting beauty and love, and confronting evil. Because songs and hymns are formative, excellence in composition and theologically correct texts are vital. Music at its best inspires our imaginations, pointing the way to how life on earth is meant to be. It looks beyond the temporary towards God’s perfect future. Quality matters!

Christianity, historically, has been a catalyst of great art - it needs to re-emerge as a leader of the way forward in originality and beauty in music and the wider Arts.

It’s a sobering thought that more people will see Coldplay’s ‘Music of The Spheres’ tours than have attended the UK’s Anglican churches in the past 10 years. Yet Bands such as Coldplay frequently draw upon Christian themes and imagery. Rock, pop and dance lyrics are an apt vehicle for communicating concepts and spiritual truth, words we might not feel bold enough to speak - a step on the road to faith.

I’ve met people who have begun their journey to faith during U2 concerts. It doesn’t all happen in church! In fact, when Christianity turns in on itself - becomes insular and boundaried - that’s when we lose people. Anglican priest Jack Heaslip, U2’s pastor and friend, travelled with them, attended their prayer and Bible studies, and prayed during sound-checks for the audience that would soon arrive.

 All of it is God’s! (…unless it is evil). Rock, pop, dance, folk and classical music can be as much infused by the Holy Spirit, the power and presence of God, as specifically sacred church music - sometimes, more so. Unless, of course, the lyrics promote concepts or ideas contradictory to the teaching of Jesus.

‘Art needs no justification’ - as Hans Rookmaaker emphasises in his book bearing this title. Art can be playful and fun. Much of pop, dance, rock, jazz and folk music is celebratory. Life is an abundant joy, amidst the sorrows and the times of learning.