Special Music

Funny. Never thought of it that way, but you're right. Growing up Baptist, we always had "Special Music" listed in the bulletin - which always meant a solo, duet, etc. At my current church (non Baptist), they don't use this title, they simply list the song title and the name of person who will be singing. So maybe it is a Baptist thing.

The big question is -- do you applaud after the song?

 

I've always referred to it as "special music" even if the church didn't. I don't use "special" as "better" or "elevated" in any way. I simply mean "not usual".

 

Yea it does sound better than "not usual music".

 

Or "Unusual Music".

 

That is why I hate it when the order of worship is printed. Why do we need to do that?

 

I like the way my pastor runs his services. Every service is the same, but he has no qualms about deviating from the pattern. In fact, a few months ago when I was visiting (before I retired) he called me and two other men up to sing "How Great Thou Art" with him. No notice or anything. He just scanned the crowd and grabbed three men he knew wouldn't mind singing.

 

Ain't that the truth, God forbid. What people get stressed over......

 

No problems here with that...helps to keep everything in some semblance of order. But I see no reason to publish for the general public. Been there Done that OCD myself, and it took the focus off of hearing to looking to see if it was all in line.

 

Why would not having a bulletin be like trying to hide something? I don't understand.

 

As Presbyterians, we adhere to 1 Corinthians 14:40 - "But all things should be done decently and in order."

Personally, I prefer to have an order of worship in a bulletin; however, it is not always the same week to week.

 

In the case of visitation, I like that idea for use...if your church already has a bulletin. My church has never had one, and we certainly never laid out an order of service.

I'm in a small, backcountry, hardshell Baptist church, and we also look for "decently and in order," but we don't hold to having to plan out the service. I've visited churches where the service was planned out and I asked my friend, who had invited me, what they do if they feel compelled to testify. He said they go to the Deacon board and set up a time in which to testify. That shocked me. But, as some people say "not my circus; not my monkeys."

 

AMEN!!!! I think that Corporate Worship is just that--where the people of God come together as the people of God to worship ie, ascribe Honor, Worth, and Praises to God through singing, prayer and the Word. It is not a time to single others out in a Special Way-God is the one who is "Special"

I would add that there is some really bad songs that are sung in Worship which are totally inappropriate for Worship (maybe in a Private worship setting-maybe?) Songs like: "If I could hear my Mother pray again", "In the Garden", "Remind me Dear Lord" are horrible songs to sing from a theological stand point. They do not honor God. One time, when I was quite young, they had special music and the singer had written a song to honor his Mother and sang it in Worship, the name of the Song, or at least one of the line in the song was "Matthew come home it's supper time" and how he wished that she was still around so that he could hear it again--it was a horrible song for worship and I was not even a Christian at that point