Are There Any Absolutes?—part 3

Are There Any Absolutes?—part 3

            Before Hegelian synthesis thought, the Scripture in I John 2:15, “Love not the world”, meant just that, don’t love the world or become controlled by the system of “this present age”.  After acceptance of Hegelian synthesis thought, it became acceptable to be a worldly Christian.  Those who accepted this viewpoint no longer believed the Bible when it said that if you loved the world, the love of the father was not in you.  Under this autonomous philosophy you could love the world and the Lord at the same time. 

             So, the synthesis thinking church musicians, who were in many instances, graduates of Christian colleges and seminaries began to think that if it was okay to love the world system then it was okay to love the world’s music.  Philosophically they believed that the answer could no more be based on good music and bad music, God’s music and the Satan’s music, or in appropriate or inappropriate music.  They believed that all styles were equal and that the musical answer must be somewhere between truth and error.

Thought for the Day. 

One of the ways that Christian musicians are swept into philosophical error is by believing that it is not possible to develop a Bible based music philosophy.

Are There Any Absolutes?—part 2

Are There Any Absolutes?—part 2 

            Philosophy has been historically a pursuit of the systematized principles that give a wisdom that reveals truth and a unified filed of knowledge based on truth and error or thesis and antithesis.  Somewhere in the early 20th century many philosophers began to give up hope in a unified filed of knowledge based on thesis (right) or antithesis (wrong).  They began to believe the philosophy of Georg Wilhelm Frederick Hegel (1770-1831).  Hegel believed that every idea belonged to an all-embracing mind in which every idea (thesis) elicited its opposite (antithesis) and the result of these two was a unified whole which he called synthesis.  His “unified” whole was epistemologically different since it derived “knowing” from a new synthesis thesis.  This “knowing” brought about a new truth that was always found somewhere between truth and error.  

Thought for the Day   

It is disappointing that many church musicians now believe that the only thing they can know for sure about religious music I that they cannot know anything for sure about it because they are of the notion that there are no absolutes in church music.

Are There Any Absolutes?—part 1

Are There Any Absolutes?—part 1

            I am deeply indebted to the work of Francis Schaffer for opening to me a very clear basic understanding of how philosophical thought has shaped the thinking of modern and postmodern Christians.  After reading his Escape from Reason and The God Who is There as well as other of his great works, it became clear to me how many Christian musicians came to believe that there are no absolutes in music.

            For centuries philosophers believed that it was possible for all thought to come under a unified filed of knowledge.  They often fought bitterly over just what that unified field of knowledge included.  Although philosophers did not agree on the content of that unified knowledge, they did agree that philosophical endeavor could and should bring about a philosophy of hope to the world.  

Thought for the Day

If a Christian musician’s music is to be Christocentric, it must be congruent with God’s Word and Bible principles of musicing.

Forgiving your Brother 490 Times

Forgiving your Brother 490 Times

            Matthew 18:15, “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.”  “Matthew 18:21 ¶ Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”  These verses are on the same subject that we considered very briefly yesterday.  Do you think that this topic bears repeating?  I do because I know Christian people who have let their hearts fester for decades over wrongs that have been done to them.

            If you think yesterday’s admonishment of Jesus to forgive another seven times in one day is hard to understand, how about today’s admonition for a Christian to forgive another seventy times seven?  Let’s see, seventy times seven equals four hundred and ninety times (490).  I do not know about you but that seems to be a lot of times to me!  I have never had to forgive anyone nearly that many times in my lifetime.  To tell you the truth, I do not know how I would accomplish such a monumental task. I guess that I would have to go about it one forgiveness at a time.

            I have been thinking this morning about the number of times that my precious Savior Jesus Christ the righteous one has forgiven me in my lifetime.  I am sure it has been more than 490 times.  Since He freely has forgiven me all those times, He was not wrong in asking me to forgive another who has wronged me only a few times.  How about you, are you nursing a very old wound that you should have let the Healer heal in your heart?  If Satan cannot get you to rob a bank perhaps he can get you to harbor resentment and hurt in your body, mind, and soul.  If he can, the hurt will eat away at the health of your body mind and soul.  And by the way, the issue is not whether or not your brother asks for forgiveness, but rather whether or not you will forgive him. 

Prayer for the Day 

Lord, it is another day so I will need grace for this new day.  I want to thank You that You have enough grace for me so that I can live victoriously throughout this day.  Thank you for caring so much for me.  Lord I am asking you to help those musicians who are struggling over being able to forgive others today.  Help them to also know that Your grace is sufficient for them to meet every need of their lives.  Help them to know that Your grace is able to help them to forgive others who have wronged them.  This I pry in Your strong name.  Amen.

Forgiving Your Brother

Forgiving Your Brother

            St. Luke 17:3 -4 records the words of Jesus, “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.  And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.”  Wow!  The words of Jesus often trouble us because, most of us do not like conflict so we fail to go to our brother directly and rebuke him (or her) when he or she trespasses (commits an offence) against us.  It is much easier to do the wrong thing and go to someone else and talk to them about the offence against us than it is to go directly to the offender.  Jesus said to rebuke (epitimao 2008) i.e. to censure or admonish the one who committed the offense. 

            If you think the first part of what Jesus said to do is difficult to understand, how about the second part?  Jesus very succinctly stated, “Forgive him.”  When I read this the other day I decided to look up the word aphiemi (863) to make sure it meant forgive.  Sure enough it means: let go, disregard, keep no longer, leave behind, and of course forgive!

If you think the first and second parts of the admonishment that Jesus gave are hard to understand, how about the third part?  Jesus told His disciples to keep on forgiving even after many offences.

            Musicians are very emotional people.  They get hurt very easily because they are sensitive people.  It is no wonder that they get hurt when someone actually does something to them that is definitely wrong.  However, it is never right to fester over something that someone else has done which is wrong.  You may be right about the situation, but if you do not forgive, the offender you are in the wrong. 

Prayer for the Day

Dear Lord, I want you to give me forgiving spirit.  Help me to be able to forgive those who have committed an offence against me.  Help me to forgive others even if they do not ask me to forgive them. Lord, you said I Your Word to forgive so help me to be able to truly forgive.  This petition I am praying in Your all-powerful and wise name.  Amen.  

Song for the Day All Your Anxiety by Edward H. Joy 

Quote for the Day

 My former pastor and great friend Rev. R. E. Carroll once told me , “Garen when someone has committed  a wrong against me, when I go to prayer I say to the Lord, ‘Lord handle me, Lord will you please take care of my attitude.’”

THE PSALMS ARE INSPIRED.

THE PSALMS ARE INSPIRED.

            As was mentioned before in my blog posts, I have prepared each post with the presupposition that the entire Bible is authored and inspired by the Holy Spirit.  The Book of Psalms is therefore the inspired word of God.  Hibbard, in Whedon's Commentary states, "The Psalms are the only collection of sacred songs plenarily inspired which were ever given to the church, and as such presents a claim upon our reverence, faith, and devotional use which belongs to no other." Commentary on the Old Testament by D.D. Whedon, ed., Psalms Vol. 5, p. 7.

            The Book of Psalms is the only inspired collection of sacred songs extant in the world today.  Since it is an inspired songbook, it is important to study the various places in the Old and New Testaments where the writers quote portions of the psalms and thereby attest to the inspiration of the Psalm collection.  It is also worth noting that in the New Testament there are more exact quotations, references, and allusions to the Book of Psalms than to any other Old Testament Book.

             David claimed the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in II Samuel 23:1-2 where it states, “Now these be the last words of David.  David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.”  So, David directly claimed the inspiration of the Holy Spirit when he declared that his psalms were breathed out (ruach 7307) from YHVH (3068) so thoroughly that he stated that God spoke by or through his psalms. The psalmist David further declared that God’s word (millah 4405) was actually in his tongue (lashown 3956). 

Quote and Thought for the Day 

 “Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.” Acts 1:16  This statement by St. Peter is significant in that it attests to the fact that the Holy Spirit’s inspiration on the Book of Psalms. Ac 1:20 “For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.”

Righteous is the Main Thing

 Righteous is the Main Thing

            Proverbs28:5 -6, “Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.  Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.”  It is a strange thought to some Christian musicians that wicked men and women do not understand God’s judgment.  Because God does not exact judgment at the end of each day, some musicians are duped by Satan into believing that sinners have it better in this life than Christians. 

            God’s Word attests to the fact that it is better to be righteous and poor than to be rich and perverse.  The reader should remember that I did not make this comparison but rather it was the inspired Word of God.  Rich people do not have to be perverse, but riches can buy many opportunities to experience perversion.  The Christian musician that does not possess much of this world’s goods should be advised of two things.  First, the righteous should concentrate on being righteous and second, should not fret over those who are perverse and also possibly rich.  The Christians responsibility is to walk carefully before God and his or her fellow man.  God will bring judgment on the wicked whether or not they understand that He will. 

Quote and Thought  for the Day

 1Timothy 6:5-6 “Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.  But godliness with contentment is great gain.”  Remember to concentrate on being content every day.  That is the only way that you can keep the main thing the main thing.

Prayer for the Day

My precious Lord I want my life, my heart, and my actions to be pleasing in Your sight.  Help me to always be a good and faithful musical servant.  I know that it is not my might or power or worldly wisdom that my life will be pleasing unto You.  Help me to have the wisdom to ask You for Your wisdom.  Help me throughout this year to seek your will for my daily walk. Help me to concentrate on being righteous.  This I am asking in Your wise and wonderful name.  Amen.

The Seven Note Creation-part 2

The Seven Note Creation-part 2  

       When we study the te'amim (which is the musical notation found above and below the texts of the entire Old Testament), we find that both the psalmodic and prosodic systems of notation have a tonic note.  (See chapter 8 of my book, Music of the Bible in Christian Perspective and The Music of the Bible Revealed. by Suzanne Haik-Vantoura, Berkley: Bibal Press, 1991.).  This tonic note is called "silluq".  This term means "end" and has the same function as the tonic note of our "modern" diatonic scale. God created and rested in seven days and God made a seven note scale with a resting note.  After the seventh day the sequence of days re-begins and after the seventh note the musical scale re-begins--all this is more than a coincidence!  It is the work of an omniscient creator.

       Outside of our knowledge of the te'amim, the Pentateuch is relatively silent as to the specifics of the beginnings of music.  However, we do know that God imparted musical knowledge to man before the flood.  Genesis 4:21 explains that Lamech’s son Jubal “was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ."  We also know that Adam was given domain over the erets (776) so he no doubt had wisdom concerning music. The more we learn about God’s seven note creation the more we are drawn to the conclusion that a God this wise is capable of guiding us in developing a unified Christocentric music philosophy in the twenty-first century.  Praise God   

Thought for the Day

When a composer or arranger repeatedly avoids the use of the tonic, he or she obscures the finality which is necessary for the proper presentation of the gospel.

The Seven Note Creation-part 1

The Seven Note Creation-part 1  

        We have often discussed God's creation of the seven note musical scale.  Before God created man, He created, “the heaven and the earth.”  It is important that we understand the significance of God creating the mathematical ratios that make the seven note scale possible. The perfectness of the number seven is a part of Gods eternal laws. The world was brought into being and set in motion at the will of God in accordance to His laws.

        A part of these laws was the eternal concept of seven days ending with a Sabbath and a re-beginning on the eighth day.  God, without doubt, created music in the beginning to conform to these laws.  The eighth note of the musical scale is essentially the same as Sunday of the next week.  Sunday is the eighth day or the day of re-beginning of the same sequence just like the eighth note of the musical scale.  If you sing the diatonic major scale and stop on the seventh degree which is a leading tone in the major scale this tone demands resolution.  The note of resolution is the eighth degree of the major scale which is the same as the first degree i.e. the tonic.   The concept of seven degrees in a musical scale cannot be improved upon since the number seven is always the number of perfection in Scripture, and eight is the number of regeneration and re-beginning. 

Thought for the Day 

The fact that the music of the Occident used a seven note scale made it amenable to correct organization that made much of it congruent with the purposes of public worship.

Is it OK to worship with Joy?—part 3

Is it OK to worship with Joy?—part 3 

            Yesterday we discussed very briefly that maybe the reason that often our worship is so sedate is that we, among other things, are not hearing intelligently what our loving heavenly Father is saying to us or that we haven’t been obedient to His voice.  If we are experiencing the chastening of the blessed Holy Spirit because we have not obeyed what we know the Bible teaches clearly, worship ill not be very joyous.

            Finally let’s take a quick look at the Hebrew word samach, which according to Strong means “probably to brighten up, i.e. (figuratively) be (causatively, make) blithe or gleesome:--cheer up, be (make) glad, (have, make) joy (-ful), be (make) merry, (cause to, make to) rejoice…”  Wow!  Blithe and gleesome doesn’t sound like God’s Word is commanding that our worship must be very staid, does it?.  It means that Christians who are happy serving Jesus should get happy once in a while and furthermore, it should show on their face and their whole person!  Does that make me phanatical?  I think not. 

Thought for the Day

 Psalm 33:1 teaches “Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.”  It appears to me from this Scripture that the only people who are sad worshipers are those who are not righteous.

Is it OK to worship with Joy?—part 2

Is it OK to worship with Joy?—part 2

            Psalm 34:2 “My soul (nephesh 5315) shall make her boast (halal 1984) in the LORD (Y@hovah 3068): the humble (anav 6035) shall hear (shama) thereof, and be glad (samach 8055).”  Today I want to deal with some of the original word meanings in this verse.  Nephesh literally means a breathing creature.  So if you are still breathing and the Lord has been good to you, you should get happy once in a while when you music unto him.  If this goes against the grain with you take a look at what Strong wrote about the word halal “a primitive root; to be clear (orig. of sound, to shine; hence, to make a show, to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causatively, to celebrate”

            If you believe that only those who are naturally verbally expressive should praise the Lord overtly, take a look at the word anav (6035) which is translated humble in Psalm 34:2 and is defined by Strong as “depressed (figuratively), in mind (gentle) or circumstances (needy, especially saintly):--humble,   lowly, meek…”  If you meet any of these criteria you have the right to make your boast in the great and wonderful God that we love, serve and worship.  He goes on to say that shama means “to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience… diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), X indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim, publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound…”

Thought for the Day

 Psalm 147:1 states very clearly, “Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.”  So, singing in worship is not a chore but rather a pleasant part of public and private worship.

Is it OK to worship with Joy?—part 1

Is it OK to worship with Joy?—part 1

Psalm 34:2 “My soul (nephesh 5315) shall make her boast (halal 1984) in the LORD (Y@hovah 3068): the humble (anav 6035) shall hear (shama) thereof, and be glad (samach 8055).”* There are some well-meaning Christians that believe that our worship should be sedate and staid.  By the term staid I mean prim or self-resistant which goes along with the concept of the worshiper maintaining an attitude of quiet peace i.e. sedateness. 

            I do not promote an atmosphere of chaos in public worship, but I do believe that Psalm 35:27 teaches us to make a great acclamation unto the LORD when it says, “Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant” and Nehemiah 8:10 teaches us that we should worship YHVH with joy when it states, “Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

*We will deal with the original word meanings in the posts that will follow..

            Thought for the Day

Everyone that I have known in my life time who was extremely happy made some acclamation of joy.  So, I maintain that if a worshiper is happy in the Lord, it is appropriate for him or her to let others know it in public worship.  God wants to be a living sacrifice not a dead one.

Singing unto the LORD is a Joy

Singing unto the LORD is a Joy

            "Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name."  (II Samuel 22:50).  Romans 15:9 says, ". . .I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name."  In Psalm 108:3 David proclaimed that he would sing praises among people and nations.  Isaiah 42:11-12 is an exhortation to praise God in the islands.  Again the Psalmist David declared in Psalm 57:9, "I will sing unto thee among the nations."  Paul and Silas sang praises unto God in the prison (Acts 16:25).  Finally, we are admonished to, "Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints." (Psalm 149:1).  The writer of the Hebrew letter (2:12) said, ". . .in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee."

            We are instructed in God's Word to sing among sinners, among saints, in foreign countries, in the time of persecution, and in God's house.  We are instructed to sing praise unto Him everywhere. "Praise ye the LORD.  Praise the LORD, O my soul.  While I live will I praise the LORD:  I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being." (Psalm 146:1-2).  "I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live:  I will sing praise to my God while I have my being." (Psalm 104:33).  We should praise the LORD as long as we live, for He is worthy of our praise.  Finally, in the Revelation John speaks of those who win victory over the beast, his image, and his mark.  "And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." (Revelation 15:3).

            Rather than becoming overcome by the responsibility to sing unto the LORD, the Christian musician who sings should consider it an honor and a privilege to sing for God’s glory.  The Christian singer never quits singing unto God.  He or she may retire from regular every day music ministry but my Bible teaches that everyone who breathes must use that breath to praise the LORD.  

Thought for the Day

My Bible says in Psalm 33:1, “Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.” The word na’veh (5000) that is translated comely in the AV means suitable or beautiful.  So, the most suitable, beautiful, and appropriate for you to do during this day is to spend the day praising God.

Such as Taught to Sing Praise

Such as Taught to Sing Praise

            There is a very interesting Scripture verse in 2Chronicles 23:13, “And she looked, and, behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entering in, and the princes and the trumpets by the king: and all the people of the land rejoiced, and sounded with trumpets, also the singers with instruments of musick, and such as taught to sing praise….”  I do I not know how many times I have read this verse, but it stood out to me the other day as I was carefully reading the twenty-third chapter.

            Among those who were worshiping was a classification of Levite musicians whose occupational specialty was teaching others to sing praise to YHVH.  Maybe the reason that there are so many musicians who present God with musical offerings that are less than excellent and certainly not appropriate for public worship is that no one I their church fellowship has ever bothered to teach them how to sing praises unto our awesome and holy heavenly Father.

Thought for the Day

Christian fellowships need many more Christian musicians who will take the time and effort to teach young Christians how to music unto God.

Thank God I Was Started Early

Thank God I Was Started Early

          My first memories of going to church include my mother practicing songs with me and praying with me, and the preacher lifting me up on a chair behind the pulpit to sing special music about Jesus.  I have told you all this to remind all of you Christian parents that your children’s musical training really matters.  No matter what you have or do not have, the things that matter are not “things”.  Whatever it takes, make sure that your children receive a quality music education and that you provide them opportunities to give their musical talents back to the God who gave them to your children. 

          I am grateful that Dr. John I. Page and his wife Virginia took me to church fellowship meetings and to retirement communities to sing the gospel as a little child.  I was extremely blessed to have a pastor and his wife that cared about a little boy who had some musical talent.  I am also grateful that in July of 1967 Dr. Page invited me to an altar of prayer where I confessed my sins and wept my way into the loving arms of my forgiving Savior Jesus Christ.  I will forever be thankful that I was given a Christian upbringing and that as a child I was given musical training and many opportunities to give my musical talents back to God. 

Thought for the Day 

I often wonder if I would have ever gone into Christian musical service if my mother and my pastor and his wife had not started me at a very early age to give my musical talent back to the almighty God who gave it to me.  You should make sure to guide the young children whom God has laced under your care to start musicing unto God at a very early age.

Song for the Day

Give of Your Best to the Master by Howard B. Grose

Lead or Be Led

Lead or Be Led

            Psalm 59:2 states, “Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.  For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD.”  Although we do not like to dwell on anything negative the world is not, and has never been, a friend of grace.  Every Christian musician must be aware that he or she will either be a leader or they will by default become the victim of some other leadership. 

            My wife and I were walking the other day at Northgate Mall and a lady started walking with us.  After some small talk my wife immediately began to thank the Lord for His goodness to us.  The lady said that she had been raised a Baptist but she was now a “pagan”.  I think she was without doubt mixed up on her terminology but I was impressed that my wife did not let her dominate the conversation when it came to spiritual matters.

             A Christian has the choice to make of either letting non-Christians control the conversation or to lead by proclaiming the name of Jesus even when it is not popular to take a stand.  If a Christian continually keeps silent when the name of God is reviled or made light of, that Christians faith becomes damaged.  So, stand up for Jesus, and Satan will have to withdraw and Jesus your advocate will stand up for you!   

Prayer for the Day

Heavenly Father I want to thank You for helping me to not be intimidated by those who do not love and serve You.  Thank You for giving me the strength to stand up for your righteous and Holy name.  I am asking You to keep delivering me from the subtle influence of those who are “workers of iniquity”.  Thank you for delivering me from those who “lie in wait for my soul”.  Help me to praise Your name and to resist the false philosophies of this present world.  these things I am praying in Your strong name.  Amen.   

Song for the Day Stand up, Stand up for Jesus by George Duffield

The Beginning of Knowledge

The Beginning of Knowledge 

            Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”  Yirah (3374) means, among other things, reverence or a moral fear of God.  What God thinks about me matters.    What I think of God matters too because it will directly affect my respect and trust of Him.   When things are going well for me, I might like to think of God as sort of my buddy, but when the going gets rough, I find myself in need of a strong and powerful God.  When my earthly friends are nowhere to be seen, I find myself needing a God who is able to meet my serious need.   

            When I have problems that are much too difficult for me to solve, I need a big, wise, wonderful God to come to my aid.  Isaiah put it like this, “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.”( Isaiah 6:1)  When He was in trouble he did not look for a folksy and indulgent God but rather an exalted Holy God!   I do not know about you, but I need a God whose train fills the temple about every day.  Therefore, I plan to visualize my God as High and lifted up. 

Song for the Day Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty by Reginald Heber 

Thought for the Day

If I want to always be able to trust God, I must conceptualize Him as the Almighty rather than my buddy.   

Prayer for the Day

My dear heavenly Father I want to always see You as the Almighty God who spoke the world into existence. Help me to have a right concept of who You are and what you are capable of doing. I know that the beginning of knowledge is knowing You and Your will. Please help me to understand more and more about You each day,  This I am praying in Your name.  Amen.

Thinking Church Music Through

Thinking Church Music Through

Church musicians continue to be in a very heated argument about styles of church music.  Normally church musicians do not argue in favor of secular rock music, however this is changing since some churches are now playing secular rock and other similar styles of music that have no relationship to sacred music.  There are an increasing number of pastors and church musicians who do not see much, if anything, wrong with religious rock music in the church.  In many places in the world today, church attendance is getting smaller, so pastors and ministers of music are trying to make church attendance attractive to people who are not Christians.  Almost everything traditional is now being reviewed to make sure that traditional acts of worship are relating to “worldly” people.  Traditional styles of church music often receive the blame for a lack of church growth.

            When a particular church is experiencing increased attendance, pastors and ministers of music naturally look at the style of worship that has been “successful.”  Often church leaders pattern public worship after “super churches” without thinking through the results of those major changes in music worship. 

Thought for the Day

Christian musicians must be more concerned about being “faithful” than “successful” when it comes to which styles of music are or are not admitted to a church’s music repertoire.

Blended Music Before “Blending” Was Cool-Part 4

Blended Music Before “Blending” Was Cool-Part 4

       With the introduction, given in yesterday’s discussion, I want to explain why gospel hymns like “What a Wonderful Savior” by E.A. Hoffman are appropriate for 21^st century public worship.  Each verse of this song is a clear confession of faith taken from the fundamental doctrines of the Bible.                                   

                                    Christ has for sin atonement made,

                                    We are redeemed: the price is paid.

                                    I praise Him for the cleansing blood-

                                    That reconciled my soul to God.

                                    He cleansed my heart from all its sin-

                                    And now He reigns and rules there-in.

                                    He gives me overcoming power-

                                    And triumph in each trying hour!

                                    To him I’ve given all my heart.

                                    The world shall never share a part.

Each thought of each line is followed by the corporate (choral) response: “What a wonderful Savior!”  Each complete verse is then followed by the strong chorus:

                                    What a wonderful Savior is Jesus, my Jesus!

                                    What a wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord!

This gospel hymn has the best of everything.  It includes:

                                                Atonement

                                                Redemption

                                                Cleansing by the efficacious blood of Christ

                                                Reconciliation

                                                Cleansing from all sin

                                                Christ reigning in the believer’s heart

                                                Christ’s overcoming power given to believers

                                                Triumphant Christian living

                                                A life sold out to Christ

                                                Freedom from the power of this world

       This gospel hymn also is loaded with expressions of repeated praise to our wonderful Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  This song is a classic example of many songs that may be found in any standard Hymnal.  Although the musical vehicle is simple harmonically and rhythmically, it is a proper vehicle to support this mighty lyric gospel hymn.  Next Sunday give this  gospel hymn a try in Sunday morning worship.  The fundamental understanding of the Bible doctrines imbedded in this song will help you in your presentation of this wonderful song to your congregation.  P.S. note the importance and credence that punctuation gives to this lyric poetry.

 

                                              Thought For the day-Blending

Music is an aid to memory.  This song contains ten times the theological thoughts that some “one thought” choruses contain.

 

 

 

Blended Music Before “Blending” Was Cool-Part 3

Blended Music Before “Blending” Was Cool-Part 3

        Many fundamentalist churches have shortened or removed revivals, camp meetings and evangelistic campaigns from their schedule of public services.  These same churches sing a repertoire of praise songs on Sunday morning and Sunday evening and at the midweek service, with little or no songs that catechize the audience in the cardinal doctrines of the church.  When should the church music present the claims of the gospel and give people an opportunity to come to know Christ by a personal profession of faith?

 It seems that, if the modern fundamentalist churches are attempting to be seeker sensitive, they need to add an element of evangelism to their worship musing in order for it to be a proper concomitant to the preaching of Christ crucified.  I want to emphasize again that I believe praise and worship music must hold a place of centrality in all the public services of the Assembly of Believers.  However, although praise music is fundamental to Christian worship, so is the exposition of the other cardinal doctrines of the church.

 

                                               Thought for the day-Blending-

Nutritionists constantly stress the importance of a balanced diet.  Good quality gospel hymns are, in my estimation, some of the balanced catechism that will insure a balanced theological diet.

 

 

Blended Music Before “Blending” Was Cool-Part 2

Blended Music Before “Blending” Was Cool-Part 2

 

       Although there are numbers of gospel songs that are anything but “classics”, time has already shown that they are not the only religious songs that often rightfully fall into obscurity after a short period of popularity.  At this point in time there is an emphasis on worship music that centers almost entirely on God with little or no content about man’s relationship to God.  The claims of the gospel are purposefully omitted from the bulk of praise and worship choruses. Certainly, praise to God is not an option but rather a necessity for worship musing.  However, as I have said often, so are songs of prayer, confession, contrition, the Trinity, Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection, the second coming, and a host of other doctrinal and creedal content.

       So, the gospel hymns written by the hymnists listed above were an integral part of the Moody, Sankey worship and evangelistic services.  Louis F. Benson notes that, “Their work [the gospel hymn] was appropriated in Dwight L. Moody’s English campaign and his later call upon American churches to add evangelism to worship.”  The Hymnody of the Christian Church, by Louis F. Benson, p.266   The concept of having an element of evangelism and fundamental doctrines of the church as a part of public worship is not popular in many churches today.  My philosophical question to those who oppose an element of evangelism in worship is, “Just when are songs that teach fundamental doctrines and have an evangelistic appeal appropriate for the modern audience?”

Thought for the Day

Maye the reason some ministers of music do not esteem the content of the gospel hymn is that they are afraid of songs that address man’s sinful nature and how it separates men and women from God.

Blended Music Before “Blending” Was Cool-Part 1

Blended Music Before “Blending” Was Cool-Part 1

       About 100 years before blended music for worship became popular in public worship as part of the worship the worship renewal movement, Elisha A. Hoffman wrote the words to “What a Wonderful Savior”.  This song may be defined as a gospel hymn.  There are several definitions given for the gospel hymn by various authors.  These definitions run from a “mixture song” which includes praise to God mixed with clear fundamentalist doctrine to “simple songs with an elaborate chorus”.  Some of the definitions that I have found have been positive but others are very negative considerations of this musical genre especially because they stress adherence to the fundamental doctrines of the Bible.

        Notably, the early gospel hymns were developed first by George Root (1820-1895), William Howard Doane (1832-1915), Robert Lowery (1826-1899), Philip Bliss (1838-1876), et al.  There have been a host of writers who have produced these mixture songs in the 20^th century.  Current writers are particularly negative about gospel songs that exhibit clear fundamentalist doctrine and the fact that these songs are quite simple harmonically .

Thought for the Day

1.    Although a host of millennials who now lead worship believe that gospel songs are not relevant in this century, I have never seen the results of any research study that supports that notion. 

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Can a Song be too Creative?—part 3

Can a Song be too Creative?—part 3

            The preaching of Christ crucified is considered in the New Testament to be the main thing as we can see in 1Corinthians 1:23-24, “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.”  Furthermore, St. Paul prefaced his statements in verses 23-24 by 1Corinthians 1:21 which says, “For because, by the purpose of God, the world, with all its wisdom, had not the knowledge of God, it was God's pleasure, by so foolish a thing as preaching, to give salvation to those who had faith in him. (BBE)  God’s word never states that He wills to save people by singing or musicing any other way.

            Church music should prepare the people’s hearts (both Christians and non-believers) for the preaching of Christ crucified.  I believe that worship music is a means to an end rather than being an end in itself.  It is a mistake in philosophical judgment to consider the Sunday morning service to consist of a time of worship with music and then the unfortunate pastor has to start over with his message after the fun time has ended.  I will say in closing that sacred musicing is a preparatory time for the presentation of the Logos Christos.

Thought for the Day

Why do so many church musicians believe that they must bring the time of singing in worship to a climactic moment?  There are no patterns of worship in either the Old or New Testament that teach that muscing should be the high point of public worship.