Posted on 02/18/2007 7:30:33 PM PST by freedomdefender
There are many instances of people seeing angels in human form. No reason why angels shouldn't be heard singing, when they want to be heard.
"Bramlett believes angels are still making appearances in our modern day,"
Well, this will upset the roman catholic church.
Why is that?
If I get to heaven and find out that angels sing that horrible muck you hear in nondenominational Protestant churches, with stupid badly-rhyming lyrics and a heavy base line and electric guitars, I'm leaving.
How's that?
why?
You hear it in Catholic churches, too. to get away from it, ironically, you probably have to go to a liberal mainline downtown Presby or Methodist or Episcopal church, where they tend to have traditional music and even paid choirs. Also, a Lutheran church or any synod still understands the value of good music.
Heaven's reserved for music such as Bach's Mass in B minor, Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, and Jimi Hendrix's "Machine Gun."
That's odd...in his day C.S. Lewis described hymns as being fifth-rate lyrics set to sixth-rate music.
Cheers!
They play that drek in our church. The same lyrics are repeated six or eight times instead of having 6 or 8 novel verses; I guess modern songwriters can't be bothered to do something as tiresome as writing several verses.
I love my church but now I just go there in time to hear the pastor's brilliant sermon; the music gives me a nervous breakdown and Mr. Fairview silently protests by crossing his arms across his chest if we have to listen to much of it.
What's so wrong with the beautiful old hymns that have inspired believers for centuries? And what's with having a sax played in church? Every time I hear it I think of bill clinton, which definitely puts me in a non-reverent mood.
Why would you say that? Do you know what teh Catholic Church teaches about angels? from the Catechism:
The existence of angels — a truth of faith
328
The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls "angels" is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition.
Who are they?
329
St. Augustine says: "'Angel' is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is ‘spirit'; if you seek the name of their office, it is ‘angel': from what they are, ‘spirit,' from what they do, ‘angel.'"188 With their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God. Because they "always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven" they are the "mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word."189
330
As purely spiritual creatures angels have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendor of their glory bears witness.190
Christ "with all his angels"
331
Christ is the center of the angelic world. They are his angels: "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him. . . ."191 They belong to him because they were created through and for him: "for in him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities—all things were created through him and for him."192 They belong to him still more because he has made them messengers of his saving plan: "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?"193
332
Angels have been present since creation and throughout the history of salvation, announcing this salvation from afar or near and serving the accomplishment of the divine plan: they closed the earthly paradise; protected Lot; saved Hagar and her child; stayed Abraham's hand; communicated the law by their ministry; led the People of God; announced births and callings; and assisted the prophets, just to cite a few examples.194 Finally, the angel Gabriel announced the birth of the Precursor and that of Jesus himself.195
333
From the Incarnation to the Ascension, the life of the Word incarnate is surrounded by the adoration and service of angels. When God "brings the firstborn into the world, he says: ‘Let all God's angels worship him.'"196 Their song of praise at the birth of Christ has not ceased resounding in the Church's praise: "Glory to God in the highest!"197 They protect Jesus in his infancy, serve him in the desert, strengthen him in his agony in the garden, when he could have been saved by them from the hands of his enemies as Israel had been.198 Again, it is the angels who "evangelize" by proclaiming the Good News of Christ's Incarnation and Resurrection.199 They will be present at Christ's return, which they will announce, to serve at his judgment.200
There's a special place in heaven for those who like their hymns to sound like a funeral dirge. ;)
I am somewhat familiar with Jim Bramlett. He is a devout and honest man by all accounts.
I might add, my son was a vocal music major in college. He performed a few pieces with a chorale group that, in certain settings, were designed to produce overtone sounds that gave a separate richness and complexity to the music that had to be heard to be believed.
Well Randy and Paula might put them through but I wouldn't count on Simon.
The trick is to not let yourself be fooled into thinking it's something that it's not.
Maybe he meant that the Catholic church wouldn't like the fact that this occurred in a Protestant church setting with people actually speaking in tongues (The Lakeland Florida tape) rather than at a Catholic Mass.
I think it's all just a matter of taste. There are some old hymns that do nothing for me, and I feel like I'm just mouthing words just to get through them. But then there are modern songs {Shout to the Lord, for example} that are amazing in their ability to put me in the spirit of worship.
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