Comments on: Contemporary Worship and Congregational Singing http://crookedshore.wordpress.com/2006/10/06/contemporary-worship-and-congregational-singing/ life theology and spirituality on the county down shoreline] Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:55:09 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Gareth Matthews http://crookedshore.wordpress.com/2006/10/06/contemporary-worship-and-congregational-singing/#comment-41 Gareth Matthews Mon, 09 Oct 2006 22:01:54 +0000 http://crookedshore.wordpress.com/2006/10/06/contemporary-worship-and-congregational-singing/#comment-41 Hey Glenn - nah, I don't think you are a grumpy old man :) You raise some good points here - and a lot of folk seem to be feeling challenged about the whole issue of intimacy in our worship and how that was not how it was designed to be. After all, you don't read about the elders and the living creatures singing 'My Jesus, My Saviour' in heaven do you? So we are probably in agreement that the balance of what we sing about needs to be re-addressed. However, a ritual burning of praise and worship CD's? Hmmm, perhaps not so much in agreement here :) You are right that it can foster the idea that me, my boyfriend God and my favourite worship CD is all I need - but worship music can also prophesy, encourage, teach and draw us to deeper understanding of who God is. Surely it is actually down to us as church members / leaders to be teaching more accurately about what worship is and to enforce the knowledge that actually worship only becomes truly beneficial to us when we make it our priority for it to be beneficial to Him? If we get that bit right I feel more confident that the rest will fall into place. Hey Glenn – nah, I don’t think you are a grumpy old man :) You raise some good points here – and a lot of folk seem to be feeling challenged about the whole issue of intimacy in our worship and how that was not how it was designed to be. After all, you don’t read about the elders and the living creatures singing ‘My Jesus, My Saviour’ in heaven do you?

So we are probably in agreement that the balance of what we sing about needs to be re-addressed. However, a ritual burning of praise and worship CD’s? Hmmm, perhaps not so much in agreement here :) You are right that it can foster the idea that me, my boyfriend God and my favourite worship CD is all I need – but worship music can also prophesy, encourage, teach and draw us to deeper understanding of who God is. Surely it is actually down to us as church members / leaders to be teaching more accurately about what worship is and to enforce the knowledge that actually worship only becomes truly beneficial to us when we make it our priority for it to be beneficial to Him? If we get that bit right I feel more confident that the rest will fall into place.

]]> By: Glenn http://crookedshore.wordpress.com/2006/10/06/contemporary-worship-and-congregational-singing/#comment-40 Glenn Fri, 06 Oct 2006 18:32:07 +0000 http://crookedshore.wordpress.com/2006/10/06/contemporary-worship-and-congregational-singing/#comment-40 Hey Gail! Rob Borley on the threedays blog talks of songs whose lyrics are more likely to lead us into the bedroom than into the heavenly throne room. Brilliant. BTW, I don't get old tomorrow, just older! Who told tales? Hey Gail! Rob Borley on the threedays blog talks of songs whose lyrics are more likely to lead us into the bedroom than into the heavenly throne room. Brilliant.

BTW, I don’t get old tomorrow, just older! Who told tales?

]]> By: Glenn http://crookedshore.wordpress.com/2006/10/06/contemporary-worship-and-congregational-singing/#comment-39 Glenn Fri, 06 Oct 2006 18:29:45 +0000 http://crookedshore.wordpress.com/2006/10/06/contemporary-worship-and-congregational-singing/#comment-39 Rev Cindi, I agree with what you say on the dangers of manipulation in worship, and that much of it is done by rote. There is however, much that is positive about GOOD habit. I'm intrigued for instance by the stories that seem to indicate that the memory of songs is one of the last to leave the mind. Pastors and researchers talk of visiting older people in care homes who appear to have no faculty for social integration until old hymns are sung. Then the whole memory returns or is uncovered. It seems to me that when we sing songs as a congregation things happen in us and through us that we are not always conscious of. It's not just their value in singing the story of a group but also the capacity of old familiar songs to define community. Rote singing isn't to be despised. Rev Cindi, I agree with what you say on the dangers of manipulation in worship, and that much of it is done by rote. There is however, much that is positive about GOOD habit. I’m intrigued for instance by the stories that seem to indicate that the memory of songs is one of the last to leave the mind. Pastors and researchers talk of visiting older people in care homes who appear to have no faculty for social integration until old hymns are sung. Then the whole memory returns or is uncovered. It seems to me that when we sing songs as a congregation things happen in us and through us that we are not always conscious of. It’s not just their value in singing the story of a group but also the capacity of old familiar songs to define community. Rote singing isn’t to be despised.

]]> By: gail http://crookedshore.wordpress.com/2006/10/06/contemporary-worship-and-congregational-singing/#comment-38 gail Fri, 06 Oct 2006 17:39:20 +0000 http://crookedshore.wordpress.com/2006/10/06/contemporary-worship-and-congregational-singing/#comment-38 ha ha! if you are grumpy it is perhaps because of all the 'jesus is my boyfriend' music you have had to endure. or maybe that's just me... i like your thoughts on privatisation. too true. john bell, speaker and hymn writer, of the iona community speaks about the issue of christian song here. <a href="http://www.greenbelt.org.uk/shop/talks/details.php?ref=GB05-12" rel="nofollow">http://www.greenbelt.org.uk/shop/talks/details.php?ref=GB05-12</a> and besides, i thought you didn't get 'old' til tomorrow! ;-) ha ha! if you are grumpy it is perhaps because of all the ‘jesus is my boyfriend’ music you have had to endure. or maybe that’s just me… i like your thoughts on privatisation. too true. john bell, speaker and hymn writer, of the iona community speaks about the issue of christian song here. http://www.greenbelt.org.uk/shop/talks/details.php?ref=GB05-12

and besides, i thought you didn’t get ‘old’ til tomorrow! ;-)

]]> By: Rev. Cindi http://crookedshore.wordpress.com/2006/10/06/contemporary-worship-and-congregational-singing/#comment-37 Rev. Cindi Fri, 06 Oct 2006 16:30:14 +0000 http://crookedshore.wordpress.com/2006/10/06/contemporary-worship-and-congregational-singing/#comment-37 I like the use of praise music in church or home. The reason is that I see so many in church simply sing the old standards from rote and they have no personal impact. The use of praise music gives the singer a vehicle for personal worship. However, my ideal is a combination of the two. One must, though, be careful as to not manipulate the worship experience, but allow it to happen as the Spirit leads. I see too many worship leaders who do the whole "three fast, three slow" song choice and work to bring the people to a predetermined place. That, I feel, is not the purpose of the music nor the music leader. I like the use of praise music in church or home. The reason is that I see so many in church simply sing the old standards from rote and they have no personal impact. The use of praise music gives the singer a vehicle for personal worship. However, my ideal is a combination of the two. One must, though, be careful as to not manipulate the worship experience, but allow it to happen as the Spirit leads. I see too many worship leaders who do the whole “three fast, three slow” song choice and work to bring the people to a predetermined place. That, I feel, is not the purpose of the music nor the music leader.

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