Posted on 06/27/2009 9:05:43 PM PDT by tenger
Sunday Poll: In your church, what kinds of songs do you sing? A Daily Poll
Usually it is contemporary Christian music, but with an emphasis on God and Jesus. There is a message in our music.
My favorite contemporary song is “El Shaddai” by Amy Grant. I still get goose bumps every time I hear it.
That is interesting. Were your ancestors Scottish by chance?
Your observation is probably right that the “faith” practiced in families is often determined by the mothers in families.
My husband, who was raised Catholic, is very active in our church.
My mother’s father and my father’s mother have scottish in their blood. Good for your husband. I think it is better for both parents to be active in which ever church they choose. It just makes it better. Same sort of thing with having two parents in the household (father and mother of course. :)
if the hymnbook doesn’t open with Holy Holy Holy then I’m at the wrong church.
I don’t mind praise or charismatics on occasion but I prefer Protestant literalism with old music.
and wood floors and in a church, not an auditorium
and I like for folks to be just a hair skeered of the preacher
yep...i’m old
my oldest daughter was baptized recently at 20 in a praise church...it was nice..
We go to the Life Teen rock-n-roll mass because we have friends there and my husband likes it, but honestly, some Sundays I’m gagging. I was a church organist as my part-time job in highschool and I had a hymnbook collection obtained from second hand stores and relatives. I love old SATB arrangements and real hymns from various denominations. But what I am really puzzled by is how transient contemporary music is. I liked “folk masses” when I was young, but I can’t find anybody who remembers much Catholic folk mass music from the 1970’s. I sang “St. Louis Jesuit” songs in the 1980s, and most of them are gone from the playlist now. Is sacred music supposed to be disposable, like a used paper cup?
p.s.: One other note: When I took a philosophy and religion combo class in college, I was amazed to find that I already knew some of the theological concepts because they had been well and concisely articulated in traditional hymns that I knew.
p.p.s.: Pipe organs rule.
A song I’m sure you are familiar with, “Joy to the World”, was written by Isaac Watts.
Oh wow! Thank you. I did not know that. I am going to You tube to put all the names in to listen to the songs they sing. I love FREEPERS...always teaching me.
Enigma
Slayer: South of Heaven
Motorhead: Go to Hell
Etc...
songs from my youth when I was more pious:
Just as I Am
Tenderly Calling
Rock of Ages (not that one)
Bringing in the Sheaves
Onward Christian Soldiers
i also prefer traditional Christmas works
See, this is the problem with church music nowadays. Either it's three-chord happy clappy stuff with banal lyrics on an overhead projector, or it's the same old dreary hymns sung half-hearted and out of tune to the accompaniment of a dusty old organ.
There is a remedy for this, and that's to revive the Sacred Harp tradition of a hundred and fifty years ago. Also known as shape-note or "fasola" style, it's perfect for people with no formal choral training who nonetheless like to belt out hymns of real substance and depth. Search YouTube for "sacred harp" and hear robust, rough-hewn songs of deep and trusting faith sung the way our remote ancestors sang them.
Back in the older days, hell. That's the way it works in every family I know includng my own.
*snort* Our daughter, who is 21, calls the more rock stuff “Jesus is my boyfriend” music. She likes the four part music we sing in the Adult choir, with organ accompaniment, or Gregorian Chant, much better.
I’m with you, honey! I did Folk Masses when in college. In fact, hubby and I met at a Music Liturgy workshop 36 years ago, both playing guitar for our respective Parishes. Nowadays, I much prefer the organ music, and sing Alto in our Parish Choir, while he sings Baritone.
Actually Michael Card wrote El Shaddai and his version of it is second to none.
* Combination of hymns and contemporary songs (39%, 30 Votes)
* Old Hymns (30%, 23 Votes)
* Contemporary songs (22%, 17 Votes)
* I don’t go to church. (7%, 5 Votes)
* I don’t sing in church. (2%, 1 Votes)
Total Voters: 76
You said — Hebrew ones in minor keys.
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Well, for me it’s “Hebrews 11 in the major key”... LOL...
You said — ... but I get really tired of the noise and repeating the short verses of a praise song multiple times before we finally finish singing it.
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Next we’ll have chanting and saying “Om”... with incense and smoke, to boot... LOL..., along with giving you mantras... :-)
That’s what many churches are coming to...
The Meaning of Om
Before the beginning, the Brahman (absolute reality) was one and non-dual. It thought, “I am only one — may I become many.” This caused a vibration which eventually became sound, and this sound was Om. Creation itself was set in motion by the vibration of Om. The closest approach to Brahman is that first sound, Om. Thus, this sacred symbol has become emblematic of Brahman just as images are emblematic of material objects.
The vibration produced by chanting Om in the physical universe corresponds to the original vibration that first arose at the time of creation. The sound of Om is also called Pranava, meaning that it sustains life and runs through Prana or breath. Om also represents the four states of the Supreme Being. The three sounds in Om (AUM) represent the waking, dream and deep sleep states and the silence which surrounds Om represents the “Turiya” state.
http://www.omsakthi.org/worship/mantra.html
I LOVE my incense and smoke... along with my sanctus bells and all of the other trappings of a traditional (Anglican) church.
Some like the trappings and others like the Gospel...
That’s one good thing about the old hyms, you get Bible in there, too.
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