worship styles

[Higgaion]

This is a forum for fellowship, not theological issues, so nobody is going to enter into a debate with you. If you want to discuss your OP, post it in the PRE or IDD, but you better study up first.

Lotar, my man! How ya doin? Perhaps I need to clarify. I did not offer to “debate” anyone. Vibrant, who started the thread, said:



“I know i asked the question but the responses don't have to be directed at me. i'd luv to have a lively discussion on worship in general.”



Now, that’s all I’m trying to do. Maybe no one really wants to “discuss” that aspect with me, and if not fine. But I at least wanted to get it out there and give people an opportunity to comment, as I think it’s an important and interesting topic. Thanks, and keep up the good work

 

[Higgaion]

Hi katelyn, good post and good questions. I will try to address them soon, but I'm about to go out of town for a few days. Till then, God bless.

 

[Brooke]

I'm pretty quiet in my own worship as well. Although... I do like to sing. Not loudly though, because I'm not a loud kind of person. Someone listening to me would have to strain their ears, probably. If I tried to make myself do what I sincerely didn't feel like doing, from my heart, then it wouldn't really be sincere.


Appreciating beauty...could that be worship? Maybe not, if I wasn't thinking of God at the time.
Oh well.

 

[Higgaion]

katelyn You say we are not supposed to use musical instruments. You also say we are supposed to use the Psalms. But what about all the references to musical instruments in the Psalms?

"Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre." Psalm 33:2

"I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel." Psalm 71:22

"Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals." Psalm 150:3-5

It just seems strange that you would have us use those words in worship, yet not allow us to do the very things we are saying.

katelyn,


Thanks for your question! I know at first it does seem strange and contradictory, and it requires some subtle reasoning to see, but the simple answer, in the words of one writer, is that:

“A study of the use of musical instruments in the Bible reveals that their use in worship is connected to the sacrificial system and is an aspect of the ceremonial law. Their use in the public worship of God in the New Covenant era is without biblical authorization and is unscriptural. The biblical evidence that the use of musical instruments in public worship was Levitical, ceremonial, and typical is crystal clear and overwhelming.

Most people who argue for the use of musical instruments in worship today quote the references to musical instruments from the book of Psalms. The problem with this approach is that the Psalms often speak of the worship of Jehovah using ceremonial types. The Psalms speak of offering sacrifice (Ps. 20:3; 54:6; 107:22; 118:27), burnt offerings (Ps. 20:3; 50:8; 51:19; 66:13, 15), the altar (Ps. 26:6; 43:4; 51:19; 118:27), God’s house—the temple (Ps. 101:2; 122:1). The Psalms speak of walking within God’s house (Ps. 101:2), of going into the house of Jehovah (Ps. 122:1), of worshiping toward God’s holy temple (Ps. 5:7; 138:8), and of inquiring in God’s temple (Ps. 27:4).

Orthodox Christians do not use the passages in the psalms that speak of sacrifices and burnt offerings as proof texts for offering sacrifices in church because they know from other portions of Scripture that these duties belonged to the Levitical priesthood and were part of the ceremonial temple system that has been fulfilled and superseded by Christ.


Likewise, the clear historical passages of Scripture that discuss the use of musical instruments in public worship teach that their use was ceremonial.Therefore, the Psalm passages that speak of music in public worship do not justify their use today. For if they did, the passages that speak of burnt offerings could be used to introduce animal sacrifices into today’s worship.”

I hope this helps somewhat. You can, and I strongly urge you to, read the entire article here http://www.reformed.com/pub/music.htm

God bless