We have all heard or read articles titled “The Benefits of Participating in Music Classes”, and while those lists are good and true, we as a Lutheran community should be encouraging participation in music for other reasons. The Fort Wayne area is blessed to have a distinctly Lutheran community with a larger than average number of Lutheran Church Missouri Synod churches and schools. Having this many LCMS organizations allows us to train a large number of Lutherans in the rich history of music within our church body. Furthermore, our Lutheran identity allows us to use music as an extension of the mission of the church and school, not simply as an elective or fine arts credit.
Music, choral or otherwise, brings musicians from across our synod and world together with the common goal of promoting and proclaiming the gospel of Christ. Whether or not you consider yourself a proficient or talented musician, using music as a form of outreach and teaching starts from a place of community with each other. Sanctuaries on a Sunday morning, your child’s room before bed, or even a music classroom are spaces in which we can teach Lutheran theology through song to the next generation. Joining together in the distinctly Lutheran hymns, songs, and texts not only encourages us as saints by strengthening our faith but prepares us to go out into the world and share this news with others.
Since the beginning of Lutheranism, music has been a vehicle for Gospel expression. Martin Luther realized this when he witnessed the spread of his first hymn, “A New Song Here Shall Be Begun,” honoring two young men who were martyred for their faith. Since then, authoring texts and composing music has become a major part of Lutheran mission work because texts teach people about Jesus and the music, something catchy and easy to remember, carries those texts into every corner of their lives and beyond.
In 1 Corinthians 14:26 Paul says, “What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.” Everything that we do in the church, and by extension the school, must be done so that the church of Christ may be built up. Everyday, the fine arts department pours into students to help them become great saints of the Gospel ready to head into the world with Christ as their firm foundation.
Concordia Lutheran High School has been blessed with wonderful fine arts teachers and students who have created a lasting legacy over our 90 school years. However, we are doing more than performing at a high level, we are blessed with the ability to teach sacred music openly. Learning about music through the lens of our faith opens up a world of conversations among our students that would not be possible in a public school. On May 3rd, the 40-voice A Cappella Choir will be competing at the ISSMA State Qualification round in Elkhart, Indiana. While one of our goals is to perform at a high level, our main focus will be to spread the love of Christ through our words, actions and songs. To do this, we have chosen 3 pieces with Christian themes and texts.
Music is vital to worship in the Lutheran church whether choral, instrumental, traditional, or contemporary, but also functions daily as one of our missions fields.