Music and Religion

Music is used in praise, baptisms, funerals, Christmas, and Easter at my church. The purpose is to show respect to the Lord for everything. We use certain songs for each of these ceremonies. The performing styles that are expected are to perform it like it is written in the hymnal. When we use if to praise, it is performed every Sunday morning and night. We use appropriate songs for baptisms and funerals when we have a need for that particular ceremony. The prevailing religions around us have not influenced what is found aesthetically pleasing because my church is traditional in every aspect of the word. Other churches around mine have live bands where they play and sing contemporary Christian songs and not the traditional hymns. My church consist of a small congregation. The majority of the people in the congregation at my church are older and that is the main reason against the live band and the traditional hymns to be sung. The only instruments in my church are a piano and an organ though we only use the piano. The values at my church are inherent in the way the music is experienced. I have been to a non-traditional church in Charleston when my brother was attending college there and it was very enjoyable for me. It was nice and weird to be away from the traditional hymns of church. The church was in a movie theater. They had a live band that played and the sermon was seen through the movie screen because it was a satellite church. It was very interesting. It was nice to be away from the traditional side of church. The only thing was that my parents didn't like it because it wasn't traditional. I would love to go to a church like that but I will not go against my parents wishes until I am not living under their roof. I have also been to a Lutheran church Christmas service. It was different because they didn't sing the songs that we sing at my church. They sang the songs that are traditional for their services. The purpose of music in church is to celebrate or praise or mourn. Each song has specific times that they are sung. The rules to be followed for the songs in my church are to stand when we are singing and to sing it like it is written. That is how I have experienced music in my religion.