Can playing musical intruments and singing in choirs be regarded as a ministry?
There are numerous believers who claim that they serve the Lord by playing musical instruments during church services and others convention meetings and some believers choose singing Christian songs as a full-time profession, claiming that they do ministry for the Lord. Can singing and playing musical instruments be regarded as ministry? Did the apostles consider this to be a ministry? If it is a ministry, in what way does it edify the church?
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Asked February 18 2014
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Arun Kumar
For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Faith Cross
God created us to be creatures that included body, soul and spirit. The soul includes the mind, will and emotions. All are important to God, and when it comes to mental health, we are really talking about emotional health, not just the ability of the mind to think. Music helps us to balance out our emotional health.
Paul, the great teacher and thinker, encourages us to not only read and study scripture in our minds, but to teach through music in our hearts. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
Also, as to whether music is a "Ministry", the word 'minister' means 'servant'. If we are serving our brothers and sisters in Christ by leading them into worship, than we are ministering to their needs. If we are doing it for our own ego's sake, then we already have our reward.
Tyrone Baylock
I believe that music is a ministry and is therefore part of the worship of God. The definition of ministry is=to serve, and or work as a minister, deacon, singer of songs, or playing of music as an instrumentalist. The word ministry comes from the Greek word Diakoneo meaning to serve. By the way, the playing of music on an instrument happens to be a gift of God, and the gifts of God are used in the worship service, so therefore, music in worship is ministry. There are different ways in which ministry is performed in worship, but when all of the elements of worship come together in a corporate setting as in worship service whether instruments are present or not, usually there will be some form of music.