Gospel Songs under Fire—part 6

 

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 6

 Those who believe that all public “worship”, “worship events” or whatever it is now politically correct to call the gatherings of Christians and seekers on Sunday morning, are for the exclusive purpose of singing praise sequences need to take a serious look at what the Bible teaches in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 about the public musicing of Christians who gather to gather to sing unto God and those who attend these services.  Also, they need to study the many Scriptures in Old Testament lyric poetry that are literally saturated with personal references to God’s forgiveness, help and sustenance. The reality of personal testimony expressed by a born again Christian singing testimony songs is far from outdated.

 One of the most needed elements of heart felt worship is the current reality of God’s daily working in the worshiper’s life.  Public worship should be Trinitarian; it should be saturated with praise and adoration to Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but it should more inclusive of the reality and personal references to God’s current work in the life of those who love and serve Him.

 

 

 

 

Thought for the Day

 

My dear friend Rev. Larry Smith has written that all public corporate worship should be individual, orderly, complete and, of course Trinitarian.  Christian musicians must remember that if individuals do hot worship on a personal level, there will be no corporate worship.  One of the best ways to get individuals to worship is to have them remember what God has done, and is currently doing in their lives as individuals.

 

 

 

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 5

 

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 5

       If you will remember, Ephesians 5:19 mentions, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms (psalmos-5568) and hymns (humnos-5215) and spiritual (pneumatikos-4152) songs  (ode -5603), singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord:”  Although we do not know with certainty what the pneumatikos oide were like, I like to think that they may have been somewhat like our gospel songs.  Also, note that verse nineteen also reminds those who make melody that our musicing unto the Lord should be done in the presence of others. 

Therefore, the Christian’s musicing takes on a multi-directional communication that includes musicing unto God and musicing to others at the same time.  For this reason the gospel song enables the singer to praise God and tell others about His goodness and saving power at the same time.  Colossians 3:16 also reminds Christian musicians to, ”Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

 

Thought for the Day

I believe that the effectual fervent musicing of a righteous man or woman availeth much in public worship.  Your worship is incapable of being either effectual or fervent if you do not participate in congregational singing.

 

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 4

 

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 4

When Christians brag on the Savior it is not only good news to Christians but it is also good news to those who do not know the Lord. One of the most positive things that a congregation of believers can do musically is to tell the good news of what God has done for them individually.  This is many times best accomplished by singing gospel songs. Although worship is not about us but rather our Savior, salvation is about what God has done for us individually.  This salvation is a personal “know so” salvation.  Salvation does not mean very much to us until we as individuals have become partakers of the divine nature as explained in  2 Peter 1:4, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”   

       One of the wonderful things about musicing unto God through personal testimony presented in gospel songs is the testimony of twenty first century Christians that God is still working with individuals in this present age.  Singing these testimony songs brings current individual reality and excitement through singing the good news of what God is doing and has done for us as individuals.  Singing about this personal reality is in no way a put-down of praise music, hymn singing or Psalm singing.  You see, our God is so awesome that the diversity of musics mentioned above helps us to fully express the awesomeness, solemnity, wonder, and majesty to the Triune God. 

 

 

 

 

Thought for the Day

Sing great rhetoric about God is a must for public worship, but it is in no way a replacement for the reality and testimony of what the Holy Spirit, the Holy and wise comforter is currently doing in our lives.

 

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 3

 

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 3

There is much Old Testament lyric poetry that makes personal reference to God’s work in his or her life. This type of poetry is found much later in the New Testament in Luke 1:46-49 where Mary proclaimed, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.  For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.  For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.”  This poetry was certainly including the “I”, “me” and “my” of the Gospel.  This early poetry was in the spirit of what we have come to know and understand as “gospel music”.  So, for thousands of years those who loved and served God have made their personal boast in the LORD.  Now, some millennial musical churchmen have decided that this personalization is out dated and no longer capable of speaking to or relating to post postmoderns. 

Many 20^th  and now 21^st  century church musicians have regarded personal references to God’s grace, mercy and help to be incongruent with the spirit of true public worship.  It is true that public worship is not about individuals but rather God.  However, when a Christian makes his or her boast in the Lord, such effusions of a grateful heart bring glory and honor to God.  Without such current and living experiences of God’s workings among His people, public worship often tends to be routine and sterile.

 

Thought for the Day

I believe that the removal of all personal testimony in public worship has been one of the gravest misconceptions of what public worship should involve.  I remember many times when some humble saint would rise to his or her feet and give honor and glory to god for God’s current working in his or her life.  Many times these praises to God brought an exceeding weight of glory to the worship service that caused us all to worship.

 

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 2

 

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 2

Praise is the Christian’s response to God, i.e. thanks, adoration, and love for the trinity—it is what a worshiper “does” in response for what God Has done him.  Gospel songs explain very vividly what God has done and what He is “doing”.  My soul is blessed when I think about the difference between Christianity and the other world religions.  Christianity’s God is alive and is “doing” because He is not merely a god who “was”, but on the authority of His Word, He declares, “I AM THAT I AM”.  It is no wonder that Christians want to sing gospel songs as a way to brag on this God who is alive and well and is “doing”.

 Lyric poems that expresses the pronouns “I” and “my” are not a passing novelty of the 19^th and 20^th centuries.  Psalm 34:2 states “My soul shall make her boast (halal-1984) in the LORD: the humble (anav 6035) i.e. the depressed in mind) shall hear thereof, and be glad.”  Some of the best sacred lyric poetry that has been written in the last two hundred years has been used in gospel music.  Gospel songs of the last two centuries are some of the most descriptive and well-written poems that Christians have used to make their boast in the LORD.

 

Thought for the Day

Religion is “mere religion” until a musician has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  If there is no “I” and “my” to your musicing unto God, religious music will never be much more than an art form to you.

 

 

 

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 1

 

Gospel Songs under Fire—part 1

          Regardless of what some Christian musicians who are millennials say the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is “good news”.  That means frankly that gospel songs whether new or old are relevant and apropos in this century. All Christians desire to share this good news through their musicing.  The gospel of our triune God is much broader in scope than what we are able to express in our praise music.  Gospel songs allow a fellowship of believers to share many diverse aspects of full salvation by faith.  These songs are very positive songs that tell not only who God is but what He has done for sinful men and women in the past and what He will do for them now and what he can do for the seeker now and in the future.

          I will be the first to acknowledge that there are gospel songs that are not high quality poems and that furthermore that their musical content and structure are not shining examples of musical and compositional excellence.   Certainly there is some gospel music that should be allowed to sink into a state of well-earned oblivion.   We all are aware that there are gospel songs that were the work of a musical hack who was not a knowledgeable composer or arranger.  However, that is not proof that all gospel music is not usable or appropriate for public worship or evangelism.

 

Thought for the Day

Be careful before you categorically write off all public singing of gospel songs in an attempt to be current and trendy.

 

Graduates Cannot Teach What They Do Not Know-part 5

 

Graduates Cannot Teach What They Do Not Know-part 5

          One can remove a pig from his muddy wallowing hole, give him  a thorough bath with a scrub brush, but if the pig is allowed to not only return to his wallowing hole but to also again continuously wallow in it, there is absolutely no way that he will remain clean. Psalm 40:1-2 clearly explains, “I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.  He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”  Notice that verse three further explains. “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.”  The Cambridge scholars AV marginal reading for the words “horrible pit” i.e. shaown bowr (7488 953) is a “pit of noise”.  Again, I find it odd that so many Christian musicians, pastors and church boards believe that the best way to help a Christian, who has passed form death unto life by the born-again experience, is to subject this Christian to the same horrible pit of noise that he or she wallowed in as a carnal un-regenerated sinner who was dead in trespasses and sins.

          Surely fellowships of believers should provide music for the new man which is of a higher renovated character i.e. “new song” chadash shiyr (2319 7892) rather than the music of the old man and the old life.  I am not saying that it is absolutely impossible for Christians to exist spiritually on a diet of fried musical bologna on white bread made from bleached musical flower that has been stripped of almost all of its life sustaining ingredients, but such a worship diet is by no means the best musical diet. 

          Psalm 40:2 also teaches that God had to pull the psalmist David out of the “miry clay” i.e. yaven tiyt (3121 2916) before he could place him upon the rock and establish his goings.  At least by implication these verses in Psalm forty teach that the old song of the old life in the pit of noise was miry clay that held the psalmist down spiritually.  So, YHVH replaced the old song with a new song of a higher renovated character so that he would not be drawn back into the horrible pit of noise. 

         

Thought for the Day

 

If the “new man” has to make changes in various areas of life style, surely this Christian may have to make some changes in the music that he or she allows in his or her life style.  Without doubt this includes worship music and music styles that are closely associated with carnal passions.

Graduates Cannot Teach What They Do Not Know-part 4

 

Graduates Cannot Teach What They Do Not Know-part 4

          Yesterday we discussed that as important as knowledge of famous visual arts and famous musical compositions may be to an undergraduate student’s general education, such knowledge should never be placed above Bible knowledge of music.  Furthermore, musical knowledge, which has been thoroughly interwoven into every Christian student’s music philosophy that is seasoned with a thorough understanding of music as a part of worship from ancient to modern times, is essential to every student receiving general education that is truly Christian.  It is high time that so-called Christian colleges and universities realize that having Christ’s name as a part of the institution does not automatically insure that its graduates will receive a Christian education.

          Every Christian educational institution denies that it has been squeezed into the world’s musical mold.  However, as I alluded to in an earlier post in this series, multitudes of Christian colleges and universities believe that it is proper to worship with music styles that were created to feed carnal desires of depraved men and women.  This philosophy of music is fed by the belief that the most effective way to music unto God is to make worship exactly like he carnal music of the world.  It seems odd to me that so many Christian colleges and universities believe and teach, at least by default, that the way to music unto the high and holy triune God is to use music that sounds exactly like the carnal music of this godless world.

 

Quote for the Day

Ephesians 5:8, “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:”

 

 

Graduates Cannot Teach What They Do Not Know-part 3

 

Graduates Cannot Teach What They Do Not Know-part 3

 

          The problem is not fitting such courses into the general education portion of broad-based general education, but rather a lack of the belief that every student must understand what the Bible teaches about music and musicing and have such knowledge interwoven into his or her philosophy of music.  Accrediting associations give accredited member colleges much more general education freedom than many college academic officers will admit.  However, even if there is not much variety in general education curriculums, Christian colleges can always require some Bible based music courses as a part of all professional programs. 

          Music has become the “war department” in multitudes of churches in the last half of the 20^th century and now in the second decade of this century.  Every church deserves to have a senior pastor and a minister of music that both have a thorough understanding of Bible principles of music and musicing.  Furthermore, these pastors and ministers of music must be able to utilize this knowledge in a well-developed Bible based ministry philosophy.  Churches cannot expect secular universities to provide Bible based curricular offerings for pastors and ministers of music. However, they have the right to expect Christian colleges and universities to provide and require such offerings of each of their graduates.  If this were to happen, much of the shared ignorance would cease, and Churches would be much better equipped to face this post postmodern world. 

 

Thought for the Day

You can tell what a pastor really believes about musicing unto God by listening to what he puts up with musically from his worship leader.

 

Graduates Cannot Teach What They Do Not Know-part 2

 

Graduates Cannot Teach What They Do Not Know-part 2

 

               Yesterday we began this series of posts by citing some of the problems that are facing public music worship today.  Because so many Bible Colleges and a host of Christian universities have been more concerned with liberal arts education than a thorough Bible based Christian education, many undergraduate curriculums are now devoid of any required courses in Music of the Bible and Music Philosophy taught from a bible based Christian perspective.  Although Christian Colleges and universities would adamantly deny it, they have allowed the world to completely influence their broad based undergraduate curriculum decisions.  Although they blame accreditation requirements for the lack of Bible bases music courses in general and professional education curriculums for all students, this is not a fact.

          For instance, they have chosen courses like Art Appreciation, Fine arts Appreciation, and general Music Appreciation which could have been replaced with course like Music Philosophy in Christian Perspective, Philosophy of Music Worship, Music of the Bible, and a Host of other courses such as the History of Music Worship. I know, after working with different Christian and secular accrediting agencies in the US that Christian Colleges can make the above curriculum decisions in their undergraduate general education programs.  So, accredited undergraduate Christian colleges and universities are without excuse when they ignore Bible based music courses that are acceptable as fine arts general education. 

 

Graduates Cannot Teach What They Do Not Know-part 1

 

 Graduates Cannot Teach What They Do Not Know-part 1

          “The average pastor today will often admit that he knows very little about music, and generally leaves decisions regarding the music ministry to the song leader/choir director. The primary reason most pastors know very little about music is that they have never been taught a Biblical philosophy of Christian music. Most Bible Colleges today do not teach much in the way of Biblical music standards, and often leave such decisions up to the students themselves as to http://www.beaconmbc.com/articles/abiblicalphilosophyofchristianmusic.htm    This insightful quote by Dr. Thomas Cassidy sums up the major reason for the music dilemma that many churches have found themselves facing as we enter the second decade of this century.  Multitudes of pastors are advocating their God given responsibility to be the leader in all matters concerning public worship.  Tight behind them are multitudes of church board members who many times realize that, since they do not even know the names of the lines and spaces, do not have enough knowledge of a Bible based music philosophy to be a leader in matters of public music worship.

          So, what should the church do now that in many Christian institutions of higher learning complete musical ignorance reigns?  Should it give in to the musical winds of continued destructive musical change forced upon it by worldly church attenders who love worldly styles of music?  If the church continues to lead by ignorance of Bible principles of musicing, we will probably not be able to recognize public worship in another decade or two.  Turning over musical worship to a novice or a worship leader who loves worldly secular styles of music that were never intended to be used in worshiping God,  or worse yet a musician who has a “musical ax to grind” and is on a demolition course to change traditional worship at any cost is certainly not the answer.  The “will to power” is a dangerous trait of the canal mind, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”

(Romans 8:7)

 

Quote for the Day

Romans 1:28, “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.”

 

 

The Most Important Thing for a Musician to Hide

 

The Most Important Thing for a Musician to Hide

“Psalm 119:11-12, “Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.  Blessed art thou O lord, teach me thy statutes.

Musicians who are too busy to read God’s Word regularly seem to suppose that God will pour knowledge into their brain like oil through a funnel.  How can a musician honestly ask God to teach him or her His statutes if that Christian has not read them, studied them, and hence, has hidden them in his or her heart? 

          The Hebrew word translated statutes is derived from chaqaq (2710) which means to engrave something.  So, the psalmist is stating that he has engraved god’s statutes deep on his heart.  This connotes deep study, care and respect for what God’s word teaches.  The word teach lamad (3925) means to goad.  Are we as Christian musicians willing to submit our minds to the rod of the Lord?  Many, many times in my life I have found myself saying “ouch” when the Lord has finally awakened my mind with the goading of His instructive rod.  I read God’s word but failed to understand what it was teaching.  Only after the rod of correction was I able to get it through my head that God was trying to teach me something important.

Thought for the Day

 We need the guidance of the Holy Spirit every day to order our steps in the way we should go.  Either we will submit and follow, or we will most likely lose our way.

 

Song for the Day “Teach me Thy Way, O Lord” by Benjamin Mansell Ramsey 

Understanding Worship

 

Understanding Worship  

Exodus 34:14 “For thou shalt worship (shachah 7812) no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:”

 Matthew 4:10 “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship (proskuneo 4352) the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

 Luke 4:8 “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship (proskuneo 432) the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

          The word shachah used in Exodus 34:14 means to prostrate oneself before God.  Likewise the word proskuneo used in Matthew 4:10 and in St. Luke 4:8 means to prostrate oneself before God.  This explanation of the nature of worship gives us the mental picture of worship as a posture and an attitude instead of an event to be consumed by a congregation for their personal enjoyment.

          If the Bible definition of worship is prostrating oneself literally and figuratively before Almighty God, then what is the proper attitude for the Christian’s musicing unto God in public worship?  Most assuredly musical worship is not a public event where the church attender and participator use the God-created and God-given fine art of music to satiate his or her entertainment fancy.

          Strong’s Concordance defines proskuneo as, “from 4314 and a probable derivative of 2965 (meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand); to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore):--worship.”  Certainly this definition of worship places a new light on worship for most of us.  So much of public worship has grown to be about the individual who has come to the public worship service that God often is forced, by our worship styles, to share his glory with us. 

 

Prayer for the Day

 

Dear Lord and worthy Father in heaven I am ashamed of how I often attempt to worship you.  Please forgive me for being so selfish in my attitudes of worship.  Lord I am needy many times when I enter Your House.  I do not mean to obscure Your glory with my troubles and needs, but I know that many times my mind is on my problems rather than your Glory.  Please help me to come before your presence with singing, rejoicing and an attitude of praise to You for who you are and what you have done for me. These things I am praying in your name.  Amen.

 

Song for the Day Father, I Adore You by Terrye Coelho

 

 

Thought for the Day

 

My former pastor R.E. Carroll used to tell us that we should practice the presence of God every day of the week rather than only when we came to church to worship on Sunday.

 

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.

 

Aesthetic Meaning vs. Aesthetic Ends

 

Aesthetic Meaning vs. Aesthetic Ends

 

All quality music performance will have valuable aesthetic meaning, but all quality musicing will not have only aesthetic ends.  By the terminology “aesthetic ends’ I mean that the sole purpose of the existence of the music is aesthetic beauty and hence the import of that meaning.  The terminology “aesthetic meaning” is that which is concerned with beauty and emotion as opposed to that which is strictly intellectual.   Robert Berglund explained the evolution of music from utilitarian purposes to aesthetic ends. “Art that exists for art’s sake is art that has ends that are primarily aesthetic in nature. Historically, most vocal music created prior to the fifteenth century was of a utilitarian nature.  Its purpose centered either in the experiences of the church or in social concerns…However, as instrumental music and the instruments themselves were developed, the performance of music for sheer pleasure increased.  Parlor music lead to concert hall music, the purpose of which was primarily enjoyment.”  A Philosophy of Church Music by Robert Berglund, p.18.  

Every Christian musician must have a clear understanding of the difference between aesthetically performed sacred music which has the primary purpose of being offered to God as a worship offering, and aesthetically performed religious music that has only the aesthetic end of enjoyment.  This is not to say that an aesthetically performed musical offering to God should not be an enjoyable experience for the performer and the listener.  What I am saying is that there is a philosophical difference between a performance of a piece of sacred music which has aesthetic meaning and a performance that has only an aesthetic end.

What about a musical performance that is strictly art for art’s sake?  I believe that there is no Bible based prohibition of a Christian musician performing a secular piece of music in a concert as art for art’s sake.  However, the matter is much more complicated when a musician’s purpose is presenting a musical offering unto God.  If God is to be the object of a Christian’s sacred musicing, then one’s musicing moves philosophically from mere artistic performance, i.e. art for art’s sake, to the realm of utilitarian purposes.  As one can deduce, any musical performance that is directly addressed to God cannot be strictly a performance of an art form for art’s sake although it may very well contain artistic meaning.

 

Thought for the Day

 

The idea of music for music’s sake boarders on humanism and therefore, it must be kept in check in the life of a performer who is a committed Christian.

 

Singing and Playing under God’s Wings

Singing and Playing under God’s Wings

 

          Psalm 63:7 states, “Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice (ranan 7442).”  In twenty eight other times in the OT AV ranan was translated as some form of singing.  Furthermore, the word ranan connotes not only singing but also creaking or emitting stridulous sound.  The English word stridulous is an instrumental term for the sound that is produced when a string is played by a pick or a finger.  So, it seems reasonable to believe that it is referring to singing and playing a stringed musical instrument in this verse.

          The sweet psalmist of Israel declared that he was able to sing and play when he was under great stress. “It is most probable that the Psalm was written when David took refuge in the forest of Hareth, in the wilderness of Ziph, when he fled from the court of Achish.”  Adam Clarke’s Commentary NOTES ON PSALM LXIII.  This verse tells us that he was able to do so because, in his words, he was under the wings of elohim the supreme God.  The mental imagery that David used here is that God’s wings were sufficient to give him solace, comfort and protection in the time of great trouble.  God’s wings proved to be big enough to give David shade and protection so that he could sing and play this wonderful psalm.  If God’s wings were big enough to protect David, they are big enough to take care of you and me when we are under great stress.

 

Scripture for the Day

 

Psalm 91:4, “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.”

 

Song for the Day  Under His Wings  by William O. Cushing

 

Though for the Day

 

Only the Supreme God can make it possible for a Christian to sing and play with joy while going through a time of great tress.