Grasping and then explaining musical meaning is difficult but much more productive than the kinds of musical discussions that are sometimes heard in our profession. Music is a part of the arena of art . Understanding these ways is important if we are to discover just how embedded art is in the theological enterprise. Worship, religious liturgy, and communal rituals are also characterized by other actions and modes of discourse, that, like art, are symbolic. Chapter Five attempts a synthesis of these ideas about music and worship.
Music is traditionally a part of worship.
Music and worship share symbolic modes of thought and communication. They treat matters which are non-verbal and invisible, and they invoke questions of meaning and value. On a more practical and obvious level, music operates in worship as praise, prayer, evangelistic tool, and storytelling vehicle. Music in worship can also be understood in terms that combine theology, aesthetics, and practical applications. Chapter Six looks directly at our understanding of church music as a vocation.