While music in corporate worship should be something that brings joy and comfort to God’s people, facilitates biblical worship of a holy God, and celebrates unity in the body of Christ, it is often notorious for just the opposite. Too often church music can spark conflict, distract from biblical worship, encouraging self-centredness and the idolization of personal preference, and threatening church division. Why is that? How do we move away from (and guard against!) the latter in favour of the former?
Today on the podcast, Andrew and Josiah talk about what role music is supposed to play in the life of a church and, more specifically, in the event of corporate worship. They also discuss how music is often misunderstood, what set of criteria guide Oakridge Bible Chapel in song-selection for Sunday mornings, and why some other “good” songs miss the cut.
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Josiah has served the Oakridge Bible Chapel family as one of its elders and one of its pastoral staff members since September 2018, before which he ministered as an associate pastor to a local congregation in the Canadian prairies. Josiah's desire is to be used by God to help equip the church for ministry, both while gathered (edification) and while scattered (evangelization). He is married to Patricia, and together they have five children—Jonah, Henry, Nathaniel, Josephine, and Benjamin.
Andrew is the Associate Pastor at Oakridge Bible Chapel. He grew up in a Christian home, and spent time serving in churches of varying sizes and denominations before landing at Oakridge with his wife in 2017. He likes to verbally process theological issues he finds challenging and is always ready to learn something new. He has a passion for teaching the Bible, and seeking to explain confusing passages in a clear way, preferably with a good illustration or two.
