Gregorian Chant has had a resurgence in popularity as a calming music in these stressful times. For many that were not in Catholic circles, the first encounter would have been with Halo Combat Evolved, and the chant in the opening menu and game. While it is a beautiful form of music, one of the problems is that the theology and doctrine is Roman Catholic in nature, with many Reginas and Ave Marias in there that give idolatrous worship to Mary and saints. For this reason recommending Gregorian Chant is akin to recommending arsenic laced chocolates, because music passes the frontal lobe of the brain. Our enemy, the devil has pipes and lyres coming out of him, “The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created.” (Ezekiel 28:13, NKJV). Thus it is no superise that he seeks to seduce people with music.
Finding an alternative to Gregorian Chant can be very difficult. The Eastern Orthodox Chants are as riddled with errors and toxic doctrine. So what is the answer? I have come upon J.S. Bach’s The Lutheran Masses, Vols I and II which can be procured by Amazon or iTunes Store. The Music which is in Latin gives it that sound like Gregorian Chant, but you can feel more at ease that it is Luther’s theology and doxology which align with the Scriptures not the doctrines of Rome or the Eastern Churches. The instrumentals have a very Renaissance sound with violins, harps, piano, and etc, and the voices vary from male to choir boys to women, even opera sounding. So it is not quite at times the exact equivalent, but I do find it has the calming effect that Gregorian Chant is lauded to have, with the tones and long pitches of song that can really sooth you, especially because unless you know German, you do not get distracted by the lyrics.
As Protestants it is incumbent upon us to find alternatives to the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox temptations that are getting people trapped in their false doctrines like Hallow App and Lectio Divina Mystical Meditation. We have to understand that there is a reason there was a Reformation, and that Christ drew us out of the toxicity of Rome and the East, which had made man made doctrines that they pose as God’s laws, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition.. thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” (Mark 7:6-9, 13).
We have to be especially careful with Music, because it has a power that can manipulate and indoctrinate. If we recall part of what made 1960’s Hippy and Free Love & Flower Power movements so strong was the music by The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Blue Oyster Cult, Three Dog Night, The Carpenters, and etc. All of these bands were championing the free love, drug culture, and rebellion to all social norms. And it worked, and took the Jesus Revolution a decade later to help draw people back to “love thy neighbor,” and “Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.” (Matthew 4:10).
J.S. Bach was very devout Lutheran, and he used the Latin composition and Luther’s doctrines which came from the Scriptures, particularly in his B Minor Piece. This can give us some peace that Bach is not going to indoctrinate us with the Romanite errors nor the Eastern Orthodox lies. And so I highly recommend getting J. S. Bach two volumes, “The Lutheran Masses” by Sixteen Harry Christophers on iTunes or Amazon, which have Gothic carved like statues in black and white on the cover. I have been listening to them and find they have a very soothing effect, inspiring faith and a yearning to be closer to our Lord Jesus Christ. I know some of Opera like sound pieces may be stumbling block for some, but the goal is not so much to make this your favorite album that you listen to for entertainment, it is a spiritual discipline or recreation to help you calm for prayer, to relax, I even used it to help me fall sleep. The amount of stress in this world now has made sleep elusive, and many are on burn out. I believe if we can find tools that are healthy spiritually by good Protestants that we should use these! The aim need to be that we somehow arrive at, “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7). Amen.
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