Featured Worship Woes

1. Psalm 150 is in the OT. The apostles did not follow OT worship. All of that changed after the cross.

2. Psalm 150 is a "military psalm." It was one that was particularly sung after a battle was won, in the streets giving praise and glory to God with much jubilee and thus the dancing in the streets as David did when he brought home the Ark. It is apples and oranges.

 

1. An excellent resource for those willing to read is the book by John Frame: A Biblical Defense of Contemporary Worship Music.

2. Immaturity and a performance mindset will kill any type of musical worship, whether it is led by choirs, pipe organs, or guitars. An electric guitar solo in every song is no more distracting or performance-centered than an extended pipe-organ modulation before the last stanza of every song.

3. You will not find any prohibition against any instrument or music style in scripture.

 

Thank you 12 strings! I look forward to reading more on this topic. :thumbs:

 

That is one interpretation. So, what songs did the Apostles sing, "I'll Fly Away?" What does the style of music have to do with the cross?

 

Seems to be one the first century synagogues adopted as well.

 

The first places that Christians met were not called churches but synagogues.

 

Yes, that could very well be. And it could be the correct interpretation of Psalms 150. Those are minor points. My main question was, what does the cross have to do with changing the style of music in worship services? I was implied that in 32 AD it sounded one way then in 34 AD it sounded another.

 

You hit the nail on the head. A few years ago I read the book Who Stole My Church: What to Do When the Church You Love Tries to Enter the 21st Century by Gordon MacDonald. The book points out what will happen if the church does not teach young people to lead and change. When we die the generation following will lead somewhere. If we do not welcome them now they will go somewhere else. If we do not welcome them then they may not have a church to come back to. I am old enough to have watched churches close when most have died off while churches nearby have grown. I know of one church that had 15 each Sunday that was about 300 feet from a church that once was over 100. Today the church that was 15 is now about 2300 and the other church will close soon. The larger church talked to the small church about buying the property.

Our generation may want what they want now but the next generation will do what they want later. If we do not teach them now to be flexible and train new leaders then who will teach them? If we teach them selfishness, then who will teach them self denial?

 

I can tell you that they weren't there banging away on drums and electric guitars.

 

Excellent post, and to let you know, over the years I have learned lots from you. I guess my only point of disagreement with you has been the SBC, and have even moved a little closer towards you over time.

 

Do not get me wrong, I love the hymns I grew up on in the Baptist and Presbyterian church. Personally, I do not care for the contemporary music, but that has nothing to do with whether it praises the Lord or not. It is the message. I may have misunderstood you, but I still do not understand the cross and changing music style.

 

One of the best articles on music, and the principles of worship, that I have read is by Peter Masters found here:

http://www.the-highway.com/worshipTOC_Masters.html

 

So, whether some church's worship is correct or not can be determined mainly by it's size?

 

You might laugh at this one. A few weeks ago some people contacted me about pastoring their church and it is SBC. I am considering it too.

 

I cannot remember finding Romans 12:1.

 

The small church has done nothing for many years to reach anyone. The large church was nearly dead at one time. It has tons of ministries. I know the man who started their youth group and he does not lack in godliness. I have failed to see how churches die when they make disciples as Jesus commanded.

 

I must say I disagree with the tenants of Gordon McDonald's book.

In our town, we have several churches determined to move and heaven and earth to be in the 21st century, to modernize, to fit what will attract the young folks.

And most Sundays, like yesterday, the young ones were over at the super traditional church.

 

The fact remions that most businesses are realizing if they have not already that they must train their workers. if they do not then good workers go to where they can advance in their skills unless they are lazy.

It is obvious to anyone that expects to die that whether we like it or not that the generation that follows us is already assuming places of leadership in churches. If we do not train the younger people then who will. In that respect the old church is always dying and a new one is emerging. The people must always be dying to self and the younger people must see how its done. If people my age are selfish pigs then we provide that kind of example. Looks to me like Jesus was selfless. When did Jesus ever talk about translations, music, etc. He addressed what God wanted from the beginning.

The man who got me started in business had a SS class each week of about 40 who wanted to go into missions. About 20 left each year. He was a man that was not focused on getting old but giving himself away. Every day I think about him because of the legacy he left in my life both in how to do business but living the Christian life. He was surrounded by college students all the time while there were other complaining why the college students would not come to them. Who wants to come to people who are full of themselves?

 

It is not about attracting young people as in architectural evangelism or being a flash in the pan. That last for a short time until people find out. The realk work is getting along side someone who wants to grow and teach them how to walk with God in living the Christian life. Sometimes it means confronting someone. Sometimes it means picking them up when then they are down. Hebrews 3:13 gives one admonition.