Wedding music
I am getting married soon and, as a member of a WELS church, I would like to have it in my home church. However, my mother has brought to my attention that some of the music I want played at my wedding is not allowed in a church setting or service, such as “All of Me” by John Legend. Could you direct me to where in the Bible it specifies which kind of music is allowed in a church? I don’t want to be disrespectful, but my fiancé and I value music highly and would really like to include instrumental versions of other songs, along with the worship songs we choose. If you could provide some clarity, I would greatly appreciate it. God bless.
Congratulations on your upcoming marriage. It is wonderful to hear of your desire to have your wedding in your home church.
There are of course no Bible passages that specifically state “which kind of music is allowed in a church.” What we want to do is understand what the Bible says about worshiping the Lord with fellow believers and then make appropriate applications to our lives.
To begin with, it goes without saying that God is the focus of our worship services (Psalm 115:1). That is true whether we are thinking of a regular worship service or a special worship service such as a funeral or a wedding. If God is not the focus of those special worship services, then a funeral is filled with eulogies and a wedding is all about the bride and groom, and the music can very well reflect that. On the other hand, when God is the focus of all our worship services, then the music involved will give evidence of that truth.
Ephesians 5:19-20 states: “Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The music that fills our worship services is directed to God. It is thankfulness to God, especially for the gift of his Son, that forms the main content of our worship and music (Psalm 95:2). Music in a wedding worship service that focuses exclusively on human relationships can easily distract from worship’s main purpose of glorifying God.
1 Corinthians 14:40 adds the thought that all things in a worship service are to be done “in a fitting and orderly way.” We can arrive at appropriate musical selections for a wedding worship service by asking and answering the question: “What is fitting?”
Your question is an important one. I am glad you asked it. Your question is one that your pastor will address in pre-marital counseling with you and your fiancé. He will be glad to explain what music is appropriate for the worship service that will be your wedding. God’s blessings to you and your fiancé.