Posted on 06/02/2014 1:42:10 AM PDT by markomalley
I call it “Seven-Eleven Music,” seven words repeated eleven times.
Watch for further changes in the lyrics of hymns. Just recently in church we sang the Battle Hymn of the Republic. Instead of “As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,” the words had been changed to “let us live to make men free.”
To each is own.
Our minister loves the new music but admits that he needs to talk to the music director about adding some traditional music to the singing.
I choose to wait outside until the drums and electronic noise portion of the program is concluded.
While there are some excellent praise and worship songs, we have to be aware that even praise music can become an idol. To paraphrase Marshall McLuhan, if the ‘medium’ (praise music) BECOMES the ‘message’ (Jesus), rather than the means to communicate the message, it becomes idol worship, as the music becomes the focus, rather than Jesus; a very subtle difference and one easily crossed over.
AFA hymns? Personally, I find that they have such power and are Scripture based and convey the words of Scripture. With many praise songs, not so much.
We have seen United Church of Christ Hymnals. You should see the lyrics in songs such as ‘America’. It is all about the ‘Americas’ meaning North and South. Many of the hymns have had the lyrics changed.
At our Independent Christian Church we use old and new. We hit the middle ground years ago after a bit of struggle. I don’t worry too much about those not singing because you can only lead a horse to water. We all have our strengths. Our primary problem is a severe lack of folks under 40. Using contemporary music in our area has not been a draw for any of the churches of the younger set.
Perhaps the crux of many Protestant celebrations is the praising of the Lord through song.
O God O Lord of Heav’n and Earth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBomcCQmwgk
The parish I attend sings this with gusto and at a faster pace than in this video. Young and old alike. My family and I would be hard pressed if we ever had to move, becuase it is a rare thing to find a parish that considers the Word of God first, and leaves human preferences in the dust where they belong
Unfortunately, many Evangelical churches have gone that way. At Centre Street Church, they have four services each weekend. The Saturday and Sunday evening services are ‘contemporary’, while the 9:00AM Sunday service is more traditional, though the choir does not always sing at this service, but the worship team sings traditional hymns when the choir is not signing. The 11:00AM service is a mix of contemporary and traditional music. The sermon is the same at all four services.
It is rare to see a large choir in a more ‘liturgical’ service, though many UCC, Anglican (US=’Episcopalian’) and Lutheran churches do have choirs of some kind. As for me, I am blessed to sing in a men’s interdenominational choir of 60+ members from 12 denominations and 30+ churches in Calgary. We sing once each month at different churches around Calgary and usually perform both a Christmas and Spring Concert. The unfortunate thing is that interest in choirs is shrinking. I am 53 years of age and I am one of the ‘kids’ in the choir. The Choir’s name is the Master’s Singers. It is not in reference to age, rather, to sing for the glory of our Master, Jesus. Here are couple of links to the music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpp65b77hOU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akRu77RVuRk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT4AAZHAaD4
All other ground is sinking sand!
Our church’s 11am service is very traditional with that “old time” religion and music. Very formal, somber even at times, more “respectful” I think.
Our early service, 8:30am, has always been more contemporary, to include, more recently, instruments and “drop down screen” accompaniments, with an A/V guy off to the side. A lot of skill and talent go into the service, without a doubt. But, I prefer the later service.
Several years back, a new green-covered hymnal was introduced and used almost exclusively in the early service. The wife didn’t appreciate my humor when I nicknamed it the “Yahni Hymnal”. Dull, boring, repetitive...the book, not my humor.
A few years ago, a teenage girl was talking excitedly about the megachurch that she attended. But when I asked if it had an organ, her face went blank. I quickly realized that she had never heard of an organ. Most likely, the only sacred music she had ever heard was “praise” music.
I am a shape note singer and although Southern Gospel developed from shape note the two are very different. Shape note is polyphonic (from the Baroque think 1650 AD) but Southern Gospel is not, it is organized as chords which are presented in sequence.
Shape note is sung is at very loud levels and can be very raw even with great singers. The polyphony is not particularly predictable and you have to be attentive to the written music.
Southern Gospel is simplification of shape note and is really predictable. For many voice parts you can phone it in.
I dislike Southern Gospel although it gets much more interesting if you disregard the written harmonies and create melodies which enhance the main melody.
I also think that contemporary Christian music is terrific. I came to Jesus through CCM and we know that many others have had the same experience because we many, many emails which testify to that fact.
Now let me put on my flame suit and wait for the Southern Gospel Beserkers to attack. Lol.
Christian pop is distracting during Mass but I love it driving around town. My granddaughter and I crank it up and sing along. That has to be good.
I will add that our whole congregation sings and do so very well. They also stand early in the music and rock God’s house.
The pastor at the First Methodist Church in Fullerton, Calif., who is Korean, also chooses great Protestant songs for our services. Yesterday, we closed the service with William Cornell's "Wonderful Peace" (1889). Songs by the great hymn writers Charles H. Gabriel, Fanny Crosby, Daniel Towner, William Howard Doane and others can also be heard at our services.
The music in the OCP is getting better. We sing “old time” hymns at daily Mass.
Why should the money go to some of these OCP lyricists and composers when they have come out as gay, or attend a Protestant church.
What I’m talking about is a report that is filed weekly so that the composers and lyricists get their two cents (or whatever the royalty is) for each time the song is performed.
Where I go has gone modern with a visual screen instead of a book. Unfortunately the A/V person working the screen seems to get us off on the wrong verse quite often.
I still Prefer the old book hymns and my personal favorite is anything by THE CHUCKWAGON GANG.
Have faith. The OCP has changed quite a bit, and I think you know I have been one of loudest complainers. The cover is different. Some of the Hurd, Haugen, Schutte, etc junk isn’t in it any more. More and more chant is being printed in it.
Talk with your own priests and choir directors. Hymns are part of the worship — not a performance.
Off my soap box.
The old hymns also served as popular music and were sung frequently outside of church. Contemporary Christian has re-established that role.
The drum kit in our church is used at only the Spanish Mass. Don’t judge too readily.
I agree with the author that a lot of songs now being used in church are rather sappy, and not very inspirational.
As a Catholic I always heard about the wonderful singing in Protestant congregations. I am sad to read that this is not so true anymore.
In my Catholic church, the people do sing, but not with a great enthusiasm UNTIL we are offered up an old song such as ‘Holy God We Praise Thy Name’. When people are familiar with a song and the tune, they usually participate with gusto.
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