songs in church...hymns or rock???

[tateziwin]

I was recently advised by an Evangelical Lutheran Pastor that it isn't appropriate to have 'frivolitiy and entertainment' in church... that it is a place of reverence and respectful worship.
I think todays music is a beautiful form of worship, especially stuff from Third Day and Newsboys but now I am wondering if perhaps we are overstepping the line in respect to God. ( I think He would also like this music but is Church the right place for it?)
Tateziwin

 

[ByzantineDixie]

I don't know how we Lutherans have managed to stray so far from our origins on this. Martin Luther actually set Christian lyrics to popular tunes of his day. Without a doubt order and reverence must be maintained but that doesn't automatically exclude modern Christian worship music.

It's very late and I have to get ready for work. I am particularly passionate about this topic. I'll join it later today after work.

Peace

Rose

 

[Rechtgläubig]

Oh yes the big music controversy! LOL! Our Synod has a few people pushing for a reform in worship so I think I know what you are talking about and why this pastor is probably against this. Three things that need to be considered:

1)The doctrinal content of any song played in the church
2)What were the reasons for making Lutheran music so "boring" in the first place?
3)Why the need for a more energetic or upbeat music?

That's all I'll say for now.

 

[Andyman_1970]

First off there is no such thing as Christian "music" only Christian lyrics, there are not musical notes in the Scriptures.

This whole issue boils down to personal preference, there is no one style of Christian "music" that is more "Christian" than any style of Christian music.

 

[TwinCrier]

I disagree. I don't think adding a mention of heaven or Jesus makes a song Christian. I also perfer to have my church remain reverent and not just a place to go for free entertainment. For those who feel rock is okay for them, why try to infiltrate other churches? Why not start your own church of rock or something? As for me, I'll let that type of thing stay in the bars and harlot houses, not in my house or God's. JM2¢

 

[CeCe]

I completely agree with Andyman. It's just prefererence, nothing more. Sometimes people get too caught up in tradition (and no I'm not saying tradition should be "outlawed" "done away with" or otherwise disposed of) and believe that hymns are the only songs the Lord finds acceptable. Is this a Biblical command or man's opinion? If people prefer hymns there's nothing wrong with that. But if people prefer praise & worship music, there's nothing wrong with that either.

How people can hear "Amazing love, how can it be that You my King would die for me? Amazing love, I know it's true and it's my joy to honor You." or "God of wonders beyond our galaxy You are holy, holy. The universe declares Your majesty..." and call it disrespectful or frivilous is mind boggling.

If church isn't the place to praise and worship Him, where is? Again like Andyman said---it's just preference.

I'll look for the joke that was going around the net a while back about the difference between hymns and praise/worship music. If I can remember where I put it.

 

[Andyman_1970]

I disagree. I don't think adding a mention of heaven or Jesus makes a song Christian.

I'm sure none of us would totally 100% on the style of music we like. So if the "sound" or "style" of the music makes it Christian, what is the Christian "style"? Please also provide Scriptural support.

I also perfer to have my church remain reverent and not just a place to go for free entertainment.

Again that's YOUR preference, but please don't assert that your preference is more Godly or Biblical, because it's not, there is not Scriptural support for that. We all have preferences that are different, God made us all different, and there is nothing wrong with those differences.

For those who feel rock is okay for them, why try to infiltrate other churches? Why not start your own church of rock or something? As for me, I'll let that type of thing stay in the bars and harlot houses, not in my house or God's. JM2¢

How much Christian "Rock" or Christian contemporary music do you listen to? I hear lots of Christians make these broad statements about music they have never listened to, which (with all due respect) just displays their ignorance of the subject.

 

[Wilfred of Ivanhoe]

Personally, I would be hard pressed to attend a church that used anything but old, boring hyms, and I'm only 23! In my experience, albeit limited, I look at contemporary Christian music in church services, to an extent, as being a gimmick to get people who would otherwise not attend church to go because now church is cool. I know this isn't the case everytime, but the church I used to attend used this style of music more as entertainment, than worship. I have also developed a bad taste in my mouth for guitar prasie and worship songs that are too easy to memorize. Give me to meat to my hyms, some doctrine! Repetition of the same sugar coated lyrics doesn't do much for me.

I know a person who is well steeped in reformed theology who loves to play guitar during worship service. He tells me that he feels God's presence when he plays. That I can appreciate in the same way that I feel God's presence when I fence (by the way, can no one relate to that? The thread had its share of viewings, but no responces). I guess it depends upon the person's motivation and how it is done.

Although doctrinally I am quite at odds with Catholicism, I have always to some degree or another appreciated their litergy. Definately not their repetition of the same things over and over, but their sense of respect for services, vs. contemporary worship. The RPC I attend has a solid litergy whoose words change every weekend but there is that sense of respect in the services.

 

[BarbB]

Personally, I love both the majestic hymns and the contemporary Christian love songs to Jesus. Both can move me to tears. If I were in a church with one or the other, I would go contemporary as it moves me more. But I have bought CD's with the old hymns!

 

[Lotar]

I was recently advised by an Evangelical Lutheran Pastor that it isn't appropriate to have 'frivolitiy and entertainment' in church... that it is a place of reverence and respectful worship.
I think todays music is a beautiful form of worship, especially stuff from Third Day and Newsboys but now I am wondering if perhaps we are overstepping the line in respect to God. ( I think He would also like this music but is Church the right place for it?)
Tateziwin

Most of the Lutheran churches around here have a traditional service and a contemporary service, some even have a youth service. I don't think there is anything wrong with updating music. Personally I prefer hymns, but I'm just wierd

 

[OnederWoman]

Have you guys heard these two CD's that came out recently....

Both are predominately old hymns... but with a more modern sound (most of the time not changing the melody at all). They are wonderful...

One is "Next Door Savior" and came out to kinda go along with Max Lucado's recent book of the same name. http://www.nextdoorsavior.com/music.html

The newest is one by the PASSION group... it's called "Hymns Ancient and Modern"

which includes:

• O Worship The King
• Doxology
• Joyful, Joyful
• Praise To The Lord
• Father, Let Me Dedicate
• How Great Thou Art
• Raise Up The Crown
• All Creatures Of Our God And King
• On Christ The Solid Rock
• Hail Gladdening Light
• Here Is Love
• Fairest Lord Jesus
• Take My Life

I HIGHLY recommend BOTH!

 

[kmitch1985]

Wake up everyone...

The Psalmist wrote, Shout joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; worship the Lord with cries of gladness; come before him with joyful song. Know that the Lord is God, our maker to whom we belong, whose people we are, God's well-tended flock. Enter the temple gates with praise, its courts with thanksgiving. Give thanks to God, bless his name; good indeed is the Lord, whose love endures forever, whose faithfulness lasts through every age.

This is but one of many verses that tells me that when I go to worship and share in fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ, that I am to go with gladness in my heart. My church uses a mixture of both traditional hymns and praise and worship music. We come together as a family, we are recharged and ready face the world.

I say traditional, contemporary or what ever it really doesn't matter. We come together to receive the Holy Spirit and to continue our Christian walk. Just think of it this way; twenty, thirty, forty and even fifty years from now, what is consider contemporary today will be looked upon as traditional at that time.

 

[Yitzchak]

I was recently advised by an Evangelical Lutheran Pastor that it isn't appropriate to have 'frivolitiy and entertainment' in church... that it is a place of reverence and respectful worship.
I think todays music is a beautiful form of worship, especially stuff from Third Day and Newsboys but now I am wondering if perhaps we are overstepping the line in respect to God. ( I think He would also like this music but is Church the right place for it?)
Tateziwin

I hate to disagree with a pastor but he is speaking tradition rather than Word of God. We all show reverence for God ina variety of ways and the principle is sound that we should have such reverence. However, We all also worship in many ways. The scripture clearly teaches that God enjoys a variety of styles and it is the heart that matters.

 

[Yitzchak]

I disagree. I don't think adding a mention of heaven or Jesus makes a song Christian. I also perfer to have my church remain reverent and not just a place to go for free entertainment. For those who feel rock is okay for them, why try to infiltrate other churches? Why not start your own church of rock or something? As for me, I'll let that type of thing stay in the bars and harlot houses, not in my house or God's. JM2¢

Are you aware that many of the hymns were originally bar room tunes which were adapted during times of revival? As for infiltrating churches, the bible clearly says that "my father's house will be called a place of prayer" teaching that it is God the Father's house and does not belong to any person or organization. Worship in whatever style is always appropriate in Father's house.

 

[aanjt]

For me, I prefer the hymns. My family use to be a member of a church (for 8 years, then they basically kicked us out by taking our names off of the membership roles - hint, we did not have money and this church's priest was interested in the person's pocketbook) who did the "praise and worship" music. To be quite honest about it, I felt that I was more being entertained than anything else. It just did not sit right with me. For me, hymns are very powerful when the words are looked at carefully and read (not just said in rote). The meaning behind the words have great meaning. I have teared up in Mass over songs because of what the words said. Now, I do know that there are those who are able to worship just fine by singing praise and worship songs, but that is not how I can worship.

Whenever I hear someone say "boring...old....stagnant....lifeless....hymns" I do get offended. They are not boring, they are not stagnant, they are not lifeless, etc to me. They are meaningful in my life. But, IMO, if a person does not want their music that they sing in church insulted, try not to insult other churches music preference. There are a couple of times out of the year where we will sing a hymn that is in Latin. It is extremely beautiful!

Yours in Christ,
Jen

 

[Momzilla]

I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with using contemporary praise & worship music in church; some of it is quite moving, and if it prompts people to come to church who otherwise wouldn't, so much the better. When I go to my Methodist church, I attend a contemporary service and I love singing the praise songs.

OTOH, the ancient style of worship, with chanted/sung prayers, is transcendently beautiful.

My guess is that God is pleased to hear songs of praise raised in His name, regardless of the tune or tempo.

 

[Lotar]

For me, I prefer the hymns. My family use to be a member of a church (for 8 years, then they basically kicked us out by taking our names off of the membership roles - hint, we did not have money and this church's priest was interested in the person's pocketbook) who did the "praise and worship" music. To be quite honest about it, I felt that I was more being entertained than anything else. It just did not sit right with me. For me, hymns are very powerful when the words are looked at carefully and read (not just said in rote). The meaning behind the words have great meaning. I have teared up in Mass over songs because of what the words said. Now, I do know that there are those who are able to worship just fine by singing praise and worship songs, but that is not how I can worship.

Whenever I hear someone say "boring...old....stagnant....lifeless....hymns" I do get offended. They are not boring, they are not stagnant, they are not lifeless, etc to me. They are meaningful in my life. But, IMO, if a person does not want their music that they sing in church insulted, try not to insult other churches music preference. There are a couple of times out of the year where we will sing a hymn that is in Latin. It is extremely beautiful!

Yours in Christ,
Jen

That is the problem that a lot of Lutheran pastors have, that so much of the "praise" music is just entertainment and have little meaning. There is praise music that is well done, the churches just have to be careful in what they choose.

 

[Momzilla]

That is the problem that a lot of Lutheran pastors have, that so much of the "praise" music is just entertainment and have little meaning. There is praise music that is well done, the churches just have to be careful in what they choose.

That is certainly true. I'm fortunate that the contemporary service I attend does a good job of selecting songs.

 

[CeCe]

My family use to be a member of a church (for 8 years, then they basically kicked us out by taking our names off of the membership roles -

What is it with all the churches kicking people out or asking them to leave lately? This has to be about the 4th time I've seen something like this on the board TODAY. Gives me a bad feeling. I think ours is going to do the same thing. I don't believe they really like our special needs child being there. I think more than wanting us to be there, they tolerate us being there. For now. Just seems strange that I'm hearing so much about it at the same time. Like an ominous sign.


Anyway--back ON topic. From what I'm reading it seems to go back to what another poster said about it just being a matter of personal preference. The important thing is that it brings praise and honor and glory to HIM.

 

[CeCe]

My guess is that God is pleased to hear songs of praise raised in His name, regardless of the tune or tempo.

I agree completely, Momzilla.