Recently, our Wednesday evening class finished an excellent study of the book, The Bible and Mental Health, by Wayne Jackson.  I was privileged to teach this material with the wonderful help of one of our elders, Dr. Dale Mor-ris.  The interest in this subject was high, as evidence by shattered attendance records.
     Brother Morris and I will continue team-teaching as we now enter into a new study of the book, Instrumental Music and New Testament Worship,” by the late James D. Bales.  Actually, this study was begun on July 24th.  The book by Bales constitutes a fairly thorough treatment of a sometimes very controversial subject.  The debates over instrumental music in the worship have hardly subsided, even within the Lord’s church.  This study is a must for anyone who would like to be better informed on what the New Testament teaches about music in worship.  It will better equip us all to answer the proponents of the instru-mental music in worship error both in and out of the church.
     The first few chapters of the book deal with foun-dation principles, which are essential to an understanding of the truth about instrumental music in worship. It appears that much of the quibbling that occurs over this issue would be removed if the foundation principles of what constitutes worship in spirit and in truth, the necessity of obedience and the new covenant were understood.  The rest of the book gives a full treatment of the many arguments offered in favor or instrumental music in worship.