What is "Old Time Religion"

I agree with Luke too. Old time is more a matter of taste than of an actual reality of the way it was 200 years ago. Quite frankly I don't want to return to 200 years age nor even to the 70's and 80's which were my formative years.

 

This thread and this post made me think of this old movie - Gary Cooper in Sgt. York (Great movie if you've never seen it). Long clip, if you don't want to watch the whole clip go to around 4:00.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0E1Nxty2LY

 

Hmm. I'm pretty sure the ol' time religion was before my time, since we sang that song when I was a child. And it had to be prior to 1917 since that was when they were singing in the Gary Cooper movie. So, if the "ol' time religion" was way back when, what do we call what we have today?

 

Interesting... I'm part of a Baptist church that writes their own music, features multiple talented musicians who play live music in each of our 4 venues and 8 services to over 2500 people each Sunday.

We are only 10 years old as a new church plant, exist in one of the roughest parts of the inner city of Louisville, are doing multiple ministries to and with the homeless, drug addicted, sex addicted, un-churched, over-churched, rich, poor, tattooed, pierced, purple-haired, sandal wearing, coffee drinking people, and baptize around 100 per year.

To say our music is exactly the opposite of what you describe would be an understatement... :laugh: But, music style is not what grows a church. Sound doctrine, theological preaching and teaching with a purpose in keeping with the Scriptures, and doing what it was that Jesus said for us to do is what grows a church.

We're the most "old time" in theological attitude, church attendance, activity, mission, church planting, ministry, giving, worshiping, etc., as it is possible to be -- and the least "old time" in culture, style, sound, look, etc.

I primarily see "old time" religion as just that... People looking back at the glory days, constantly looking over their shoulder, returning to things that worked in the 1940s and 1900s, and doing what they can to stymie those who are actually creating a brand new "glory days, old time religion" right now in today's world.

Here is a video clip of our musicians introducing a new worship album. This is our new version of "old time religion." Featured are several of our pastors, including our lead pastor, worship pastor, and of course, many talented musicians.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv4BBvVZROk

 

LOL....I live up North. Cant say Ive ever seen this in my life time. Must be a southern thing like grits.:smilewinkgrin:

 

Charles Spurgeon on the old time religion:

"that was one of the great differences between the first preaching of all and the preaching after the Reformation. After the Reformation we had clearly ringing out from all pulpits the Doctrine of Justification by Faith and other glorious Truths of God which I hope will be made more and more prominent. But the first fathers of the Church set forth the same Truths in a less theological fashion. If they dwell little upon Justification by Faith they were wonderfully full upon the blood and its cleansing power, the wounds and their healing efficacy, the death of Jesus and our eternal life. We will go back to their style for a while and preach the facts about our Lord Jesus Christ rather than the doctrinal inferences from them. Oh, that the Holy Spirit would so bring the sorrows of our Lord near to each heart, that every one of us may know the fellowship of His sufferings and possess faith in His salvation and reverent love for Him!"

 

Good OP, Luke. I'm not sure what "old time" religion is, but I don't want it. Don't want the "new time" religion either. All I need is Jesus, not "religion."

 

What do YOU mean by it? It appears music is the issue for you.

 

Amen. The MESSAGE doesn't change, but the METHODS do.

 

When someone says they want that "old time religion", I take it to mean they want a very fat authoritative preacher screaming from the pulpit that they are going to hell for watching tv, going to the movies, or listening to the wrong music. In actuality, "old time religion" is like "the good old days". They were not as good as we remember them to be, and the details of which can be quite elusive.

To the preachers who say they want to turn "back" to the "old time religion" I say, What's stopping you? Your church is where you have led it. Old time religion is a substance-less idea that should be left on the ash-heap of history. Let's move forward into spiritual maturity based on a meaningful study of Scripture led by the elders of the church. But then, deep Bible study doesn't make the preacher feel as powerful as shouting about the "old time religion".

 

The first time I ever heard about "Old Time Religion" was when they were making fun of "The Giant Spider Invasion" on Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Not THOSE were the good old days.

Somehow, things were ALWAYS better back in the good old days. When I hear of the days of yore at our church I just smile and laugh to myself. These are the same folks who think our church will thrive if we just have a bunch of singins' and fellowship meals. The good old days are a myth.

To me, the REAL old time religions would be Ananias and Sapphira dropping dead at the Apostle Peter's feet.

 

I dont have the same frame of reference that you do Luke. I was raised RC & to me OT Religion was a Latin High Mass with flowing robes, the smell of insentience & constant kneeling & standing up & sitting down etc. When I think of OT Religion however, I look at the history of my dads side, the Calvinist Welsh Methodist & specifically a Great Great Granddad who was an Itinerant preacher who came from Wales, emigrated to Pennsylvania, worked in the coal mines & preached all Sunday (in Welsh & English) & traveled the circuit of churches in need of Elders who spoke both languages. upon landing, they built their churches before their homes & considered it their duty to insure that the Word was taught (1st to their own race & then to the rest). Their churches were all about Joyful Preaching & Singing & Singing & Singing. Singing & Preaching brought about a real HS Filled Revival & it was that that further spread through the lands. I was only able to witness this in the ways of my long dead Grand Uncles & Aunts but there was something in them that animated their love for Christ & one another (even in old age). None were fat by the way. They were also very proud of the fact that they were who they were.

 

You went to Sumo Baptist College? Cool!

 

What does "fat" have to do with anything? I see born again believers in all shapes and sizes, colors, and nationalities. God looks at the heart, fellas.

 

So, here's the big fat pastor lambasting the students about standards while he himself has a problem with eating too much. I think it's called irony.

It reminds me of a friend who went to a particular church for a rally on abortion only to have the pastor lambast the congregation about Jezebel's in the church. He was being hugged too much by these women. After the service my friend stepped out on to the front porch to find the pastor's wife smoking a Virginia Slim.

 

as if anyone that's thin has less sin??? I don't think so.

 

as if anyone that's thin has less sin??? I don't think so. Good grief, some folks just don't get the concept of irony.

You are right dc but when I preach on sin I try to do so not from a high and lofty position of pointing fingers, lambasting folks...etc. I preach from the fact that I too have walked in the sinner's shoes. I have a heritage of where I needed a Savior and He rescued me from the wages of sin and slavery to sin. I'm right there with my folks in the struggle. I too need my feet washed.