RIP: Church Music

Via dolarossa said:
Touching and beautiful.
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there are others i could post most of these are older songs .i have certain select songs groups i like.. iam very picky on what Contempary grup/artist i listen to.

i read a story about a church going to implement Contempary music into the church service . a elderly man spoke up saying he did not like it one bit. very opposed to it and then in another sentence he said. but if it will get my nephew in church and saved. then i am for it. but i still dont like it. . trust me music dont save but there are messages in a song.

1 Corinthians 1:21

King James Version

​

21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

we have a unction ( the indwelling presence of the spirit ) aka discernment . its not hard to discern flesh from sprit . i been in churches all Contempary good music good message .. BUT its not my cup of tea. i love music but i hate garbage
 
synthplayer said:
I grew up in the church - I'm a PK. My mother played the piano, and my father led the congregational singing. Often, my father would encourage the congregants to think deeply about the lyrics of the songs we were singing. That encouragement made me really appreciate the Holy Spirit inspired verses of those great songs - many of which had verses taken straight from the Bible. Our hymnal even indicated from where in the Bible the lyrics were drawn. At the time, I didn't even realize how wonderful it was to be singing the hymns with a whole congregation of people singing, too! Those hymns were "the music of God's church." And, they had been for many decades - even centuries.

A friend loaned me a DVD about George Wallace, and the title role was played by Gary Sinese. Toward the end of the movie, Wallace had come to realize he had compromised his principles - one by one - until he was sick of himself. He was seated in the back seat of his car and the driver stopped for a red light. Wallace rolled down his window and he could hear the music from a Sunday night church service. As he listened to the congregation sing, "Beneath The Cross Of Jesus," his eyes filled with tears. He instructed the driver to pull over and he entered the church. They sang:

Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty rock Within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness; A rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noon-time heat
And the burden of the day.

Wallace was convicted and renewed his commitment to God right then and there.

But, try to imagine the scene: He rolled down his window and overheard a Sunday night song service and the congregation was singing (together - all of them) a hymn that was written in mid 19th century that, at that time, was known to ALL protestant Christians of all denominations.

One of my very favorite hymns is entitled, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness."

Great is Thy faithfulness, Oh God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not; Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, Moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside!

That's another of the great hymns that ALL Christians recognized and would sing in church for many decades. And, again, I'm referring to a time when the vast majority of the congregants actually sang together.

But, those times are now over. Now, there is a "worship team" that does all the singing for you. The music part of the service has become a spectator experience. They put the words up on a screen, but there are a few reasons why the congregation no longer participates. First, the lyrics of the songs are less than moving.

This past Sunday, I sat and listened as the worship team performed on stage. I read the lyrics on the screen and here they are:

He is worthy
He is worthy
He is worthy
He is worthy to be praised.

The worship team sang those four lines over and over for seven minutes. I thoroughly agree that He is, indeed worthy to be praised. But, just repeating a line over and over again seems redundant to me. And, how acquainted with the Scripture would one need to be to come up with these lyrics? Great is Thy Faithfulness was obviously written by someone who was very acquainted with his Bible - especially Lamentations. When I was a child, the children's songs we were taught had more depth than "He is worthy times 21."

Second, the volume of the worship team's performance is so loud, I don't know if I'd be able to hear myself sing. Indeed, the whole "song service" with drums, bass, guitars, keyboards, and multiple singers emulates the performances we see on TV quite well, and when you watch live performances of secular bands, the crowd is supposed to be entertained - not participate.

Third, just like pop music, the tunes change almost quarterly. You can't really masterfully sing a song the very first time you hear the melody. So, unless you're a member of the worship team, which means you go to rehearsals at least once a week, you won't know the song, and therefore, you'll just leave it to the team to sing for you.

I can easily imagine someone reading what I have written here and surmising that I'm just an old fashioned, grumpy curmudgeon. But, I have to believe that anyone who would just make that assumption and leave it at that has never experienced what it is like to be in a large congregation with everyone in attendance singing heartily their worship to the Lord. Oh how I miss those days. Now, I just wait for that part of the service to be over and hope the Holy Spirit speaks to me through the message of the pastor.
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Hello synthplayer;

There has been different thoughts on this topic, traditional vs contemporary and critiques.

Do you have more you would like to add?

God bless you, brother.
 
bobinfaith said:
Hello BibleLover, Via and crossnote;

Speaking for myself I have to be careful not to judge but I agree with you all.

We visited a widow a couple of years ago. She and her late husband once mentored Hazel and me. We attended a mega Church where she was a member. I was disappointed to see all the seniors were sitting in the back rows of the "campus" auditorium. It seemed they were left out of the assembly as a whole. In the front were the young people bouncing to thumping music of the praise team. The sound system was unbalanced. The song leader had to be in his 30s, was wearing a baseball cap backward and when he spoke on the mic you couldn't understand what he was saying as he led.

I was not ministered by this, but had to overlook what I witnessed, remain still and focus on the Lord which got me through it. Since then our friend found a much smaller Church where she is more comfortable and can enjoy the sermon and singing from the praise set. She was once a choir member for many years.

As a musician I have expressed many prayers to the Lord regarding secular music. I praise God for these individual musicians but I'm conscious not to worship the lyrics. But I do enjoy their gifts to play their instruments along with a great vocal range.

These professional musicians I'm referring to love their art of music more than making impressions through public statements.

Still, there are many Christians who won't listen to secular music period, and we should respect them for that.

Many of the Church attendance in America has dwindled in these times, in favor of the campus type settings. But when I'm overseas I have noticed Church attendance in the traditional church buildings are still filled to capacity.

We should not limit Church gatherings solely on the music but all facets of the worship with God's message being the highlight.

God bless you all and your families.

Bob
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Personally........I have NO problem judging. It is what we are called to do and it is Biblical.

Contemporary music with its rock and roll roots has ruined the church. It has propagated the idea that instead of going to church to worship, we should be entertained!
 
Major said:
Personally........I have NO problem judging. It is what we are called to do and it is Biblical. Contemporary music with its rock and roll roots has ruined the church. It has propagated the idea that instead of going to church to worship, we should be entertained!
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Hello Major;

Yes, in your post we are called to judge and it's Biblical where it merits. What I'm referring to are other's thoughts and opinions posted in this topic which I'm not going to judge.

God bless you, brother.
 
Major said:
Contemporary music with its rock and roll roots has ruined the church. It has propagated the idea that instead of going to church to worship, we should be entertained!
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yes and no not all Contempary is rock n roll descent let me give you a example plz dont get a closed mind bless his heart my father n law when living would hear the word Contempary and have a spasm . before i post this video i am a southern Gospel fan on music . however there are Contempary musicians that i do enjoy some of the songs.

i understand your old school but you simply can not lump all Contempary music as rockish roll . that would be like lumping andy stanley as all southern Baptist.
 
bobinfaith said:
What I'm referring to are other's thoughts and opinions posted in this topic which I'm not going to judge.
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exactly i tell my congregation just because you dont like the style music does not mean its not of God .

its the Message not the messenger. in realty there is no certain set standard for Christian music . man makes teh standard according to taste .

once again my radio stays on 89.5 a local southern gospel station .. while others i know listen to KLOVE radio . yes i am opposed to takes the hymnal out of the Church .one more example of Contempary


 
This would be my speed..


Revelation 5:9 KJV
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
 
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crossnote said:
This would be my speed..


Revelation 5:9 KJV
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
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good song but listen closely its a type Contempary

for illustration i love this video
spirt wind
 
let me ask a question off subject please be honest... of the two non christian music which is the worse country music or rock n roll ?
 
bobinfaith said:
Hello Major;

Yes, in your post we are called to judge and it's Biblical where it merits. What I'm referring to are other's thoughts and opinions posted in this topic which I'm not going to judge.

God bless you, brother.
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I understand completely. However, "IF" we do not make determinations on opinions that are self serving, does that not then open the door to further deceiving's?
 
forgiven61 said:
yes and no not all Contempary is rock n roll descent let me give you a example plz dont get a closed mind bless his heart my father n law when living would hear the word Contempary and have a spasm . before i post this video i am a southern Gospel fan on music . however there are Contempary musicians that i do enjoy some of the songs.

i understand your old school but you simply can not lump all Contempary music as rockish roll . that would be like lumping andy stanley as all southern Baptist.
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My dear friend, I personally come from the position that Christian Music should rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to draw and convict the unsaved of their need for Christ. If there is no conviction there can be no conversion.

I personally observed the slow shift of the “Saturday Night Singings” in my church to professional Gospel Quartets performing in massive secular auditoriums. Then that same type of entertainment was demanded by the church.

Again, I say without apology that we go to church to worship God......and not to be entertained. I am not rejecting contempory Christian music out of hand, but what I am rejecting is its use in the worship service.
 
crossnote said:
Personally, I like folk and blues, so naturally, I'll side with country over rock-'n'-roll with rap at the bottom dregs.
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I need to be clear. I am Old School!!!!

I am Old Fashioned.!!!!

I am a child of the 50's and rock and roll. I like rock and roll, Elvis, and all the others muscic

What I am saying is that kind of music and rhythmic beat has NO place in the Christian worship service!
 
Major said:
I need to be clear. I am Old School!!!!

I am Old Fashioned.!!!!

I am a child of the 50's and rock and roll. I like rock and roll, Elvis, and all the others muscic

What I am saying is that kind of music and rhythmic beat has NO place in the Christian worship service!
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I agree! Syncopated rhythms self consciously focus on the drum beat rhythm, causing the crowd to also focus on the rhythm and enter into self-generated false emotional states. They don't focus on worshiping and respecting God.
 
Major said:
I need to be clear. I am Old School!!!!

I am Old Fashioned.!!!!

I am a child of the 50's and rock and roll. I like rock and roll, Elvis, and all the others muscic

What I am saying is that kind of music and rhythmic beat has NO place in the Christian worship service!
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My answer wasn't in terms of a worship service , I thought F61 was asking my personal preference in private listening. I drove my parents crazy listening to 50's music in the 50's. lol
 
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