An argument for rhythm

 I've been watching (and have been involved in) a couple of online discussions regarding the propriety of modern music in the church, and one thought that occurs to me is that, for all the talk about how many would claim that music with a beat (or even a back-beat) comes from pagan sources, in reality it has roots in creation.

Yes, creation, and specifically how we all have inhabited a little room called the "womb", where the soundtrack that was playing featured intestinal sounds, breathing, and a wonderful rhythm machine called the heart.  More than that, the atria contract, and then the ventricles contract--and as fans of Huey Lewis and the News would remind you, it's not just a beat, but it's a back-beat, the characteristic rhythm of rock & roll.

(side note; Lewis used to be a regular performer at wine tasting events....never could quite figure out why so many people who loved wine loved his music so much, but there you go)

This of course comes as no surprise to those who have cared for small children, who know from experience that when push comes to shove, you hold the child on your left side near your heart.  Kids love that back-beat.  We therefore ought to consider the possibility that one reason that we adults enjoy music with a back-beat has nothing to do with pagan music, but rather has everything to do with a built in memory of the rhythms we heard before we were born.  

Worth noting as well is that the use of these rhythms seems to have a good effect on our memorization of the lyrics as well.  So if we believe that a big part of music in the church ought to be to bring God's Word to our hearts and minds, we might infer that a certain portion of it ought to use these natural, God-given patterns.

I'm not sure where the intestinal sounds might come into play, though.  Maybe turning the reverb up on the bass?  Whatever our position on this, we might come together and sing 

I wanna praise the Lord all night, and worship every day

(yes, I'm sure Chaim Witz would be horrified to see his minimum nadir used for this purpose, which is of course part of the fun)