Medieval Worship

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“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth… So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him: male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:1,27) These two passages from the Bible showing the beginning of the earth describe the power of God and what He gave mankind. This creation began the reason for worshiping God. Because of Him, people needed to sing and give praise for the greatness that God has done. The purpose of this worship began as personal expression of passion for God, and has continued in this purpose. But the music has also transitioned to aide man in a desperate pursuit of God. In this essay, the purpose of worship music to man will be discussed through stating the topics and purpose of the worship throughout time. These times will continue from the beginning, through the Medieval period, all the way to modern day music. Before delving into the objective within the time periods, it primarily needed to examine the reason behind the purpose of this music. The beginning of the earth is one of the many reasons worship music is made. The reasons for worship are described …show more content…

The purpose of the music in this period transitions from praising God to vocal expressions of praise and a plea for mercy from God with fear intertwined within it. One of the remembered songs from this time is “Agnus Dei,” written by the Messe de Notre Dame. The significant lines to this song translate to, “Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world; Have mercy upon us/Grant us peace.” These lines show the emotion of the writers and christians of the time. Although the song remains praising God, it transitions to a stance of praising God in fear, rather than praising God for His glory as seen with King David. Rather than being in awe of God, this transition causes people to cower in fear of God offering praise in hopes for Him

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